Blog post #4

 In class, we learned so much about technology which was so much about the evolution of technology, the history, and the good and bad. It was so interesting to learn about the technologies others put in their EOTO presentations as well. Professor Smith asked us to choose a technology to research and present to the class. Everyone in the class was choosing modern-day technology, however, I was more interested in researching something from our history. Therefore, I chose to research the Typewriter. 

When you hear the word "technology" what comes to mind? For me, it's apple products. Every day I use a Mac laptop and iPhone, all I know is these products because it is what I have grown up with. Besides a Nintendo DS or a Wii. But if you dive deeper into history, it's interesting to learn about some of the first technologies. People today still use Typewriters, because of the way it makes someone more careful writing or they may just like the idea of it. Let's take a look into the history of the Typewriter:

The first practical typewriter was completed in September 1867, invented by Christopher Lathem Sholes. The first commercial model wasn't manufactured until 6 years later in 1873, where it was on a stand that was controlled with your feet. "The carriage was returned to the left margin by a foot pedal similar to a sewing machine treadle. this machine was a blind writer and wrote in only one case: that is, it did not have both capitals and small letters but wrote only in capitals" (More information).

It wasn't until Sholes invited  Thomas Edison to Milwaukee to see his new invention that Edison realized the Typrewritter should be operated by electricity. Therefore, Edison ended up building his own model of the typewriter that was operated electrically. How did he do this? the way it was operated was by a series of magnets.  Have you ever heard of Marl Twain? Well, he was the first to purchases Edison's model of the Typewriter. Mark Twain was a lot the first one to publish a typewritten manuscript. There is many positives and negtatives of the typewriter. For starters, there is no backspace button, which leaves no room for errors. But there is always a positive in the negatives. An unexpected positive for this negative is that it means you will have to think harder about what you write before you write it. This will actually cause you to improve the quality of your writing. Another positive is there is no need for a printer because it comes out on paper as you write.The invention of the Typewriter definitely impacted the world. The typewriter brought about and helped to accelerate social change. It helped open jobs for women, changed businesses and the workplace. It reduced the time and expenses involved in creating documents. It also showed the start to invention of such technologies and started a reaction. Lastly the typewriter changed the ways of manufacturing, which also aloted jobs for people during this time. The typewriter showed a change in the world especially through the use of technology and started a new era.