Really nice post. In my final SW engineering job, I bought a ton of drafting supplies and artist paper and forced myself to architect my algorithms. It forced me to slow down and I fell much closer to my objective. I’m going to try your idea.
I have been programming for the last 7 years professionally. I like computers from my early age. My father bought me Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ when I was in the first grade. Since then, computers were part of my life, significantly. I stare at my screen almost whole day. One day there was some voice in me saying "Buy a typewriter". I listened to the voice and bought Smith Corona Silent from 1946. It was the most profound experience I ever had with some kind of machine. I was not so happy when I got my first cell phone, and later smartphone nor computer. This is something different, probably because the basics are the same, I'm still typing.
Suddenly I found myself writing a diary, and a novel. I never wrote anything other than blog posts (many of them since I had website similar to The Verge) - which I sold later.
I now have 3 typewriters, 2x Smith Corona Silent (1946 and 1956), and Olympia Monica (I think it's from '70).
What I found very interesting is that writing on a typewriter is perfectly synchronized with how fast my mind is working. Time slows down! I read that on the web somewhere, and it is slowing the time when you type on a typewriter! I can confess that!
My fingers are too fast on computer keyboard, and I even don't want to talk about distractions like auto correct and other stuff that always pops up. This is something what really makes me feel good. I can write a story, poem, diary, or a letter to a friend.
It's truly something we should have on our desk somewhere in the room, and just put our thoughts on a paper.
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Really nice post. In my final SW engineering job, I bought a ton of drafting supplies and artist paper and forced myself to architect my algorithms. It forced me to slow down and I fell much closer to my objective. I’m going to try your idea.
Having grown up at a time where I was forced to use typewriters and listen to vinyl LP records, I don't wax so nostalgic over those old technologies. As soon as I got my Commodore 64 and my Star Gemini 10x dot matrix printer, I never used a typewriter again!
Vinyl took a little longer to get off of as I had (and still have) a fairly significant vinyl collection.
I know what you mean, its the same reason I do not have a kindle or buy e-books in general: With a physical book I take the time to sit down and read what is written, but on a screen I find myself skimming through to get the key points.
Sometimes, efficiency is the least important thing.