Saving sore thumbs - Printing Files

Done! My left thumb aches and my thumbnail is black. Oh no, the message does not look right on the tablet.  The sentences do not line up and the whole message would look better if I turned the tablet 90 degrees. And I must make five more copies of this message. Back to square one and a lot of stone chipping. I will have to sharpen the chisel and carve out a bunch of tablets. I have a bunch of work ahead of me.

With Office applications, I can quickly change this with a few mouse clicks and the message will look the way I want it. I can change from portrait to landscape, line up the margins, and in the print menu, make multiple copies. From carving out stone tablets, scraping parchment, to having scribes copying messages and even using photocopiers, the digital age is a real time saver and physically safer.

As I progress in the technological journey, my stone carving skills can focus on artistic endeavors, and I can save my thumbs from errant hammer blows!

Communication Evolution

Spring has sprung, days are longer and warmer. Time to get the word out to break wintering camps, follow the migrating herds and head out. Now to send out the messengers/runners with the instructions.

Hmmm??? Now to decide whether to send verbal or written instructions. I hate writing since chipping out the message on stone or imprinting on wet clay takes time, but the runners may forget key pieces of information if it is verbal, what a conundrum. Plus, the weight of the tablet slows them down. Hope in the future, humans develop a better way.

In the 21^st century, humans now have a better way. Thanks to Al Gore inventing the internet 😉 and the use of word processing applications, getting the word out is so much easier. No need for runners/messengers, heavy stone or clay tablets and worrying about messenger forgetting key pieces.

I spent the past few weeks learning about how the internet works, breaking down files into packets, transmitting them and then reassembling them. Most importantly I spent the past eight weeks stumbling through the word processing application Microsoft Word. I learned how to create documents, use several types of lettering or fonts, format paragraphs and pages, create and modify tables, insert pictures and diagrams, and manage references. All of this can be done quickly once mastering the word processing application versus the stone carving, imprinting on wet clay, inking with a pen, or using a typewriter. Errors can be corrected and most importantly, the output can be formatted easily for visual appeal and then sent via the internet at the speed of light. Faster than any messenger can run, mounted on horseback or via airmail.

Spring has sprung, so as I sit at my computer, I am using my word processor to craft my messages, sending them via the internet as we get ready to move out. Humans developed a better way. The messengers’ feet and backs thank you!