Typing: a Tactile Burden

Che is a retired factory employee and former union steward. She is a very proud great-grandmother, of Prosser, Washington. Originally from Western Washington, she and her husband (then, a small contract business owner) raised their family of four children, and have lived in Eastern Washington for the past 32 years. Married at 17, she worked for many years as a waitress in a very upscale restaurant (located inside the local Mall), to help support their family. She remembers the days of poodle-skirts, manual cash-registers, non-electric typewriters, and black and white television, when T.V. was considered high-tech. Back then, changing a channel actually meant getting up, walking all the way across the room and manually turning a knob on a big box! Whew!

Just last month, she and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a 42 inch flat-screen Sony, from their children. Looking back, it easy to see how much technology has changed. She has the voice activation set on her cell phone, speaks to her grand-children through her computer, and wonders how soon she’ll be able to buy a voice activated device for her new flat screen T.V. Over the decades, Che has seen technological advances improve the lives of many people, especially for women.

Che says, “It created the need for a whole different set of job skills”, referring to the development of the computer-age, of the 20th century. “Today’s careers have different requirements utilizing various computer-skills, and knowledge of textual programs like Excel and Word. This has provided new employment opportunities in such areas as information technology, and data processing. It has also allowed many mothers to raise a family and still be able to work from home”, she asserts proudly.

Although she is computer savvy, hand-writing or using the telephone remain the front-runners, as her personal forms of communication because, it is just that–personal. “They have computer programs that allow you to do all the same things as a high-end phone”, Che says. “That is okay but, I don’t like all of the advertising or text messaging when using a computer. It is too distracting and you forget how to spell–LOL”, she laughs.

“The computer would be the way to send letters. I do enjoy getting form letters from old high-school friends because, I hear from people who may otherwise not write. They write one letter for the year and email it to everyone. “That’s probably what I will do in the future”.

Since retiring, Che doesn’t write as much. “It is more relaxing somehow, less distracting, more personal and economical to use a pen and paper for correspondence,” but she acknowledges from experience, a computer is more efficient. For now, at least, Che waits with excitement, anticipating the day voice command replaces textual communication–typing, freeing mankind from his tactile burden!


Lee: What methods of writing did you use before buying a computer?

Che: In 1957 I took typing and shorthand. At that time, a secretary was about the only career choice for women.

Lee: How long did the process take compared to computers?

Che: It was a much longer process. First you take down the shorthand, and then transcribe it on the typewriter. All corrections had to be done by hand, and editing took longer before word-processing came along. On the computer, you type it out and press send or print, and it is finished.

Lee: What was your initial reaction, when first confronted with a computer instead of a typewriter, for textual communication?

Che: I took a computer class in college and was afraid to do anything on my own. I was very excited to learn computers but, nervous about touching anything. I didn’t want to get things messed up. I was worried about breaking it [the computer]. I was definitely intimidated about crashing it. When an unexpected problem came up on the screen, I didn’t know how to fix it. Issues weren’t explained until the problem happened.

Lee: Were there any obvious differences you noticed, from your computer class, between analog to digital technology?

Che: You can’t draw with a typewriter. It is also a resource for gathering information. With a typewriter, you have to go to the library or find another source. A computer also has programs you can use. A typewriter doesn’t.

Lee: How do you use computer programs in your daily life?

Che: Now that I am retired, I do a lot of quilting on a computerized sewing machine. I can use the computer as an inspirational resource for quilting ideas and patterns. I also use it to research other information, for correspondence (writing or speaking) with friends and family, playing games with my grandchildren, sending and receiving photos, and paying bills online.

Lee: What ways did you use the computer at work before retiring?

Che: I worked in a warehouse, and all the machines used digital technology. Everything was programmed by computers. Temperature gages, weight scales and office equipment were all computerized. Even the truckers used laptops instead of writing their information is a log-book.

Lee: Was it a difficult adjustment to digital technology at work?

Che: It kind of was at first because, when I took the computer class, I didn’t have anything to practice on at home. It was also difficult because technology was always changing.

Lee: Did you notice other adjustments during your transition to computers, outside of work?

Che: I saw in my own family, that some spent too much time on the computer. They have become more content to visit online than in person. When my grand-daughters visit, I spend a lot of time with them, playing computer games. It was also interesting and exciting getting used to a new type of socializing. You meet more people from all over the world. It’s a much faster form of communication, unless the computer crashes or the internet is down.

Lee: Were there any adjustments to maintenance issues between typewriters and computers?

Che: Typewriters just need ribbon, ink and paper. The repairs are cheaper and it doesn’t take a technician to repair it. With computers, sometimes you can call your internet provider and they can help you solve a lot of your problems. If they can’t, then you need an expensive technician to repair it.

Lee: How did typewriters make the transition to computers easier or more difficult?

Che: Typewriters were more practical because they didn’t crash! They were also less expensive to buy, required less training and needed less maintenance than a computer.

Using typewriters for correspondence is less practical because, it takes longer to write a letter and is much more difficult to correct errors. If you want to send it [letter] to someone, then you have to get an envelope and a stamp, go to the mailbox and wait for it to be delivered.

Lee: How did computers make the transition from typewriters easier or more difficult?

Che: The computer was easy to use. It made typing and editing much faster and less of a burden, but required more training than a typewriter. Although we had a good instructor, I still needed more time on it. Record keeping is also easier and more efficient, and requires less storage space. I can save vast amounts of information on a compact disk. It is lighter and takes up less space than boxes of paper.

Lee: Other than the capability to write faster and easier, have computers influenced the way you write in other ways?

Che: Yes, definitely! I write less when using the computer. Looking at a computer screen is tiring on your eyes. Your wrists get tired and sore holding them in position, while typing on the keyboard. You get pop-up ads and viruses all the time. It can be very distracting and physically stressful. Hand-writing is more ergonomic for me. There is less stress on your back, neck, eyes, hands & wrists. With a computer you get to the point of your conversation sooner.

Lee: How do you see that changing in the future?

Che: Computers will probably all run by voice commands. They will be much smaller and easier to use. They will have a more secure way to protect our personal information.


I agree with Che’s views of computers in the near future. How will computers remediate textual communication, reshaping man’s social interaction? Is textual communication becoming obsolete?