Technology of Communication

Postman grudgingly concedes that electronic textuality may offer a new kind of book, which may someday expand and enrich the tradition of writing technologies. Postman states that "since printing created new forms of literature when it replaced the handwritten manuscript, it is possible that electronic writing will do the same" (118).

However, Postman asserts that currently computer technology functions more like a new mode of transportation than like a new means of communication. He claims that it transports or processes information in a calculating mode, placing the emphasis on the technology of communication, rather than the communication itself. For Postman, the computer stands in opposition to genuinely human affairs.

There are no great computerers, as there are great writers, painters, or musicians.

Neil Postman