The Typewriter Insurgency

I found a new use for typewriters. Or maybe an old use seen from a new perspective.

I retyped The Manifesto (and translated it into English) and, of course, in so doing had cause to reflect on the strength of feeling and connection I made with the words. Typewriting does that, if you let it.

I had to fight hard against the instinct to type out the web address of either the "original" Manifesto or the typosphere. It seemed somehow inappropriate. As does sharing it as a scanned and uploaded rewrite of a typewritten original which itself was scanned, uploaded, wound-up and left ticking on Webstarts. So, no links - no tags - no attributions.

In re-reading it, there are sentiments here which chime resonantly with what M.T. "Back from the Wilderness" Coalhopper (see link on right) has to say about the Facebook.

I'm more inclined to treat typewriting as a means of balancing my existence in the data stream rather than replacing it. Yin Yang.

Whether I'll find sufficiently deviant outlets to leave this lying around, I don't know. But manifestos have proved to be equally powerful when carefully folded, tucked into a breast pocket and carried close to the heart.

Meanwhile, there's enough in the sentiment of the manifesto to at least make re-posting a facsimile a good thing to do. And it may be time already to update the rallying cry to:

"The Revolution is being typewritten"

And so on.