The demise of a Handwritten note or report

[OwntheNight]

>In going through those records, we actually found their original Bobcat report that was filed with the District Advancement.<

 

After I typed this, I realized that the boys in my pack will probably go through their Scouting career without a handwritten advancement report due to the digital age and everything being online now.

 

I know that all these online tools and programs are created for ease of use and making mundane tasks more efficient, and I am certainly glad for that but..

 

When I was going through these handwritten reports, there was a true sense of history from the pack. You know,this was the actual sheet that the Advancement Chair or the Cubmaster actually filled out in their own hand. I worry that future leaders in the pack will just have access to our database records and be able to print off our advancement records without stopping and thinking of the history.

 

I'm fortunate in that I can still talk to the previous CM's of the pack and ask about their history with the Pack. Once again, what about the future leaders?

 

This isn't just about Scouting records either. Simple hand written notes from the past can elicit feelings and memories that a word document just can't come close to. There is that emotional attachment that a text message or email can't convey.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love technology as much as the next person, but I'm just as guilty of firing off an email or sending a quick text to somebody to get the information I need. I still try to write a note to my sons' teachers at the end of the year, thanking them for their dedication and support of my children s education.

 

While the words of the Declaration of Independence are amazing to read, would they have had the same impact in a 10pt arial font document? I'm glad our founding fathers chose Timothy Matlack to pen the final copy of that document.

 

I'm not a doctor, but I have handwriting like one!

 

 

 

 

[desertrat77]

Own, great post. Nothing like a handwritten note, given or received.

[Eamonn]

Over the years I know that I've become very lazy.

In the past as soon as Thanksgiving was over, I'd make a start on my Christmas Letters.

No small task as my Mother was one of eight and my Dad one of seven, most of whom went on to have at least three or more children of their own. (We had 650 at our wedding. HWMBO and her family made up ten of the guest list!)

I'd set up shop at the kitchen table, pens, paper and ample supply of coffee at hand and start my writings.

While I did my best to personalize each and every letter, I couldn't help but too keep repeating the same stories about what had gone on over the past year.

There were times when I'd get behind and knew that I'd missed the deadline to get these letters to their overseas destination in time for the holiday.

So even though I know it's kind of yucky I went for the form letter. Now I write one letter print it and it goes in the Christmas card with maybe a little note as well.

 

I keep in touch with most of my family, friends mainly via email.

I still however do still hand-write Thank You notes.

I don't seem to write as many as I used to. Back when I was serving as District Chairman, it seemed that I was sending about half a dozen every week, lately this seems to have dwindled down to about a dozen a year - Must be that I have less to be thankful for.

I have tried to install the idea of sending thank you notes into my son, but it looks right now as if this is a losing battle. He just doesn't seem to see the point of it.

 

About ten or twelve years back I was really shocked when a friend of mine who teaches in our local high school informed me that he didn't accept hand written homework assignments.

I remembered how when I was a Lad we not only had to hand write these but they had to be done in ink, no Biro's allowed. Then later when I was teaching the messy papers that looked like the cat had got at, which I was supposed to mark and make some kind of sense of.

 

Yesterday I finished reading my first book ever on the Kindle I got for Christmas. I was certain that I would never get used to reading this way. But it worked out OK, in fact I think I maybe finished the book I was reading faster than I might have if it had been a "Real Book".

Even an old dog like me can learn to change.

Ea.

[perdidochas]

trust me, you'd much rather have a computer processed advancement report from me than a handwritten one.

[Eagle92]

It's not just personal notes, but also research documentation, and public records.

 

In archiving school, one of the biggest challenges discussed was keeping access to digital records. Sounds easy, but some formats are "loosey" formats that loose characters over time. Some documents may be done in one format, and not converted to another format in time, and the hardware is repalced or antiquated and not usable.

 

That is what has happened to a lot of NASA research from various satelites and probes. The information is stored on one type of media, but the hardware to read it does not exist anymore expect in museums. One reason why NARA, DOD, and NASA were scheduled to spend billions on a super computer that could read older programs and make the information available AND be able to upgrade to newer technologies.

 

Don't know if that is still in process.

 

But one researcher I know, a military historian, stated it was easier to get access to WWII documents than it was to Desert Shield/Storm Documents b/c of the hardware and program compatabilities. WWII docs are on paper or microfilm. While a microfilm/fiche reader is nice, a strong light source and magnifying glass would allow you to read it. Did that with some old Boys Life Microfiche cards someone gave me.

[shortridge]

Print (handwritten or printed documents) will always have a place. It's a universally low-tech medium that you can access anywhere, any time, with no regard for wireless connections or battery life. Only thing you need is a light source, and you can get that with a candle or campfire.

 

That said, I'm with perdidochas. I prefer typed documents by far. After a while, my handwriting becomes atrocious, impossible for anyone but me to read.

[packsaddle]

The message I'm getting is that it's probably a good thing these messages are typed.

[Eamonn]

"The message I'm getting is that it's probably a good thing these messages are typed"

I agree my Hieroglyphics are unreadable.

Ea

[OldGreyEagle]

While I am sure some Medieval Monks thought the demise of Illuminated Manuscripts was as sure the death knell of Western Civilization as some think Wood Badge for the 21rst Century is to Scouting, I always thought the Gutenburg printing press was a good thing. It put books in the hands of the masses, but I digress

 

One would hope the words in the Declaration of Independence have impact because of the ideas they represent and explain, not because of the media on which they reside. The Gettysburg Address has impact because of what is said, not that it was composed on the back of an envelope or something like that.

 

Then again, as the 1990 Movie "Spirit of 76" demonstrates having a paper back-up is always a good thing in case a rogue magnetic storm degausses recorded history and documentation

 

 

(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[packsaddle]

OGE, a mini-version of that is already happening. I am frequently finding research articles which refer to web-based documents. In some cases the citations refer to web sites that no longer exist or work properly. For all practical purposes, it is as if those documents never existed (and since they actually were just a bunch of 101101000111010's, I guess they never did).

 

I agree with your statement about the Declaration of Independence and Gettysburg Address. But Lincoln's claim that the world would 'little note' what was said - certainly seemed to miss the mark. (This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[Scoutfish]

I like hand written comments of birthday cards, congrat cards, anniversary, etc..

 

I like ( most of the time)to see and read hand written comments on my son's homework assignments and 9 weeks reporets cards and evaluations.

 

 

I hate to have to read inter office memos and pack wide reports and such.

 

Why? Not alwats sure what somebody wrote. One ladt has the gold standard of neat and pretty writting, on the opposite side of the spectrum, it looks like my dog swallowd a pencil and threw up.

 

I'm somewhere in the middle and slightly closer to the dog who threw up.

 

I'd especially hate for Council to misunderstand something as you all probably knopw how hard and long it takes to get that straightened out!

[clemlaw]

I recently came across the following piece of paper when I was digging through some old Scouting stuff, from the 1973 Jamboree:

 

http://www.w0is.com/miscpages/1973JamboreeWideGame.pdf

 

(I am "red O", by the way.)

 

I'm able to share it with all of you because I scanned it, and now it's just a click away. But I doubt if it would have still existed today if we had been walking around with I-phones recording each other's names and addresses.

 

I actually tracked down one of the names on that list, and we exchanged messages on Facebook. It turns out he now lives in my area. So a 37 year old scrap of paper facilitated the exchange of some ones and zeroes.

 

I'm glad that the complete contents of many old books and magazines (including Boys' Life and Scouting) are now available in electronic format, because there's an incredible amount of information that is now available at my fingertips, at no cost.

 

But I'm glad that someone saved all of that paper so that it was available to be converted to electronic format.

[Eagle92]

I am frequently finding research articles which refer to web-based documents. In some cases the citations refer to web sites that no longer exist or work properly. For all practical purposes, it is as if those documents never existed (and since they actually were just a bunch of 101101000111010's, I guess they never did).

 

Yep I was a victim of that. I was doing research on psychological warfare, don't ask, and found a then current psy ops manual on a government website. Hit the gold mine with it, BUT didn't have enough money to print it it out on the school printer. took as many notes as I could in my allotted 30 minutes, and triple checked the URL so I could get back to it when I was able to get back on a computer.

 

I waited about 10- 15 minutes, got on a computer went, straight to that website, and access was denied.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

archive.org has copies of the internets, including many websites that no longer exist. Try the way-back machine.

[packsaddle]

Thanks Merlyn for that suggestion. That way-back machine is way-cool.