#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 23: What's a facet of the modern era of writing for which you're thankful?

Lemme just gush about a hero. Donald Knuth. In 1978, this computer scientist decided he wanted to write a series of books and that wordprocessors sucked.

So he invented: TeX, the type-setting engine. Then DVI as a better print format, for the engine. And also better line wrapping with the Knuth-Plass line-breaking algorithm. And then Metafont for better font definitions and rendering.

#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 23: What's a facet of the modern era of writing for which you're thankful?

Everyone else is yelling about word processors or electricity, but what *I'm* grateful for is mass literacy. It's only really been a thing since the 17th century at the earliest (and more realistically the late 19th century), it's a fragile, tenuous thing, and without it the modern era of writing couldn't exist.

#WritersCoffeeClub 23 Dec
What's a facet of the modern era of writing for which you're thankful?

Alphabetic or syllabic writing with explicit vowel indications. I don't want to have to already know what a word is before I can read it out.

Oh, more modern than that?

OK, maybe the fact that most things you can write aren't actually illegal, and in most places in the world won't get you murdered for sedition, treason or blasphemy. The places you can, I'd argue aren't in the modern era yet.

#WritersCoffeeClub 23 Dec
What's a facet of the modern era of writing for which you're thankful?

Alphabetic or syllabic writing with explicit vowel indications. I don't want to have to already know what a word is before I can read it out.

Oh, more modern than that?

OK, maybe the fact that most things you can write aren't actually illegal, and in most places in the world won't get you murdered for sedition, treason or blasphemy. The places you can, I'd argue aren't in the modern era yet.

#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 23: What's a facet of the modern era of writing for which you're thankful?

Everyone else is yelling about word processors or electricity, but what *I'm* grateful for is mass literacy. It's only really been a thing since the 17th century at the earliest (and more realistically the late 19th century), it's a fragile, tenuous thing, and without it the modern era of writing couldn't exist.

#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 23: What's a facet of the modern era of writing for which you're thankful?

Lemme just gush about a hero. Donald Knuth. In 1978, this computer scientist decided he wanted to write a series of books and that wordprocessors sucked.

So he invented: TeX, the type-setting engine. Then DVI as a better print format, for the engine. And also better line wrapping with the Knuth-Plass line-breaking algorithm. And then Metafont for better font definitions and rendering.

#WritersCoffeeClub ~ What’s a facet of the modern era of writing for which you’re thankful?

* Digital age
* Cloud back-up, auto-save
* No trips to obscure museum archives
* No fountain pen, candlelight, no typewriter, saving trees
* Publishing can be akin to ordering an espresso

🪷

#WritersCoffeeClub 23, What’s a facet of the modern era of writing for which you’re thankful?

wel witout spellling end gramar chekkers of tecst to speach. my writin wold look a bid moor laik dis. zo Im not redy to let corporat greed highjack al the inofation regardin langguigh moddels. Both Speechify end gramar tools laik LanguageTool are teknically 'AI' zo ids alwais a litle hurtvol wen someone expressses hatret voor all of it. it keeps me fealing laik an impostor.

#writing #dyslexia