I read about the near-demise of two things this past week and it has me rather blue.
After a 244-year run, the good people at Encyclopedia Britannica announced they are giving it up and will stop print-publishing the hefty reference. They will maintain an on-line presence, but it’s just not the same.
My parents never purchased the Encyclopedia Britannica so I would go the school library and hope another student was not using the volume I needed. Remember how they smelled? Musty and intellectual. My brainiac best friend in junior high had a set in her home. Apparently her parents deemed her education more important than mine did. As a result, she went on to be a doctor and I am a lowly writer.
They say the end of the Encyclopedia has nothing to do with Google or Wikipedia, but I don’t believe them.
The second thing in a declining state because of our digitized era is the business card. With LinkedIn, Smartphones, tablets, and social media, who needs a business card to exchange contact information anymore? I understand it, but I still like a business card. I wonder how the Japanese are adapting to this trend. They consider presenting and accepting a business card a ceremonial rite.
Volumes have been written about the disappearance of books, CDs, and DVDs so I won’t go into that. But I must make a note to learn more about this “cloud” thing everyone is talking about.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m all for change, but the changes have me a little nostalgic. I’m going to pat the books on my shelves to let them know I still love them. That could take a while.
Robin Coyle 