How can societies enhance written records and dialogue? Has Google obliterated Guttenburg? And what is with all of these emojis? These are some of the many questions pondered in The Future of Text, a collection of articles delving into where text came from and where it is going. At the link above readers can download a PDF or EPUB version of the book, which in many ways reads as a time capsule for the digitization of communication. It includes essays from psychologists, poets, artists, and engineers (among many other scholars), and each provides a unique perspective on the various facets of knowledge and dialogue. For example, readers interested in how the "digital revolution" has changed text production and consumption may enjoy Alessio Antonini's article, "The Future Is Text: The Universal Interface", while readers seeking a passionate defense of open source platforms may want to give Anastasia Salter's piece, "(Un)Proprietary Texts", a read. The book is not for the passive reader; between essays, blank spaces intentionally encourage readers to critique and reflect on their own relationship to text. In addition to these essays, the book concludes with a "timeline of text related moments and innovations," detailing the evolution of text from scripts and tablets to social media and (digital) tablets. Frode Hegland, a software developer and communications connoisseur, edited The Future of Text. Hegland also curates an annual symposium by the same name.
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