On: Neal Stephenson: Why I Am a Sociomediapath (2015)

[MikeNomad]

"Cultivate an identity as a Luddite." This coming from someone who writes their first draft using pen and paper.

[sageabilly → MikeNomad]

Lots of writers [0] do their first draft with pen and paper. There are studies[1] that show that using pen and paper to take notes boost memory and the ability to recall information, so of course a writer doing the first draft of a long novel would want that for themselves.

[0]Do a Google search for "first draft pen and paper" and there are scores of hits from both authors and writing websites advocating for this [1]http://www.medicaldaily.com/why-using-pen-and-paper-not-lapt...

[meric → sageabilly]

Yeah, using laptop to take notes in lecture is useless, I might as well take no notes, and just listen more carefully. Pen and paper or nothing.

[hobs → MikeNomad]

I dont understand this comment, should he be using quill pen, or starting an oral history to be more of a luddite?

[adrusi → hobs]

The point is that the parent thinks he's already established himself as a luddite by using so antiquated technology as dead trees.

[MikeNomad → hobs]

The thing that rang the loudest (for me) from his comment was irony.

[MikeNomad → hobs]

Sorry, not directly answering your question...

I am not suggesting he do anything to be more or less of a Luddite (IIRC, he uses a very nice fountain pen).

[fsloth → MikeNomad]

I don't understand how one's chosen writing tool has anything to do with technology choices. If one wants to use a pen (as many do find it superior in some aspects to a keyboard) there really is no technological equivalent to a fountain pen. Said he, who loves writing with pen, and owns a surface pro 4, Samsung Note III, and an Ipad, and has found all of them wanting in some aspects.

[pklausler → fsloth]

Amen to fountain pens (fine point Lamy 2000 here) and notebooks with really really good paper (not Moleskines!).