A THOUSAND MONKEYS
Twitter 1, editor 0
By Blake Wolfe/The Scugog Standard

“We fear change.” - Garth Algar (while wearing a futuristic helmet, prior to attacking a robotic hand with a hammer), Wayne’s World.
And from Websters:
Luddite (noun) - one of a group of early 19th century English workmen destroying laboursaving machinery as a protest; broadly : one who is opposed to technological change.

_Not being English, a farmer or from the early 19th century, I identify with the second definition. Not necessarily outright opposed or fearful, but wilfully slow to adapt and somewhat, if perversely, proud of it.
_I still buy vinyl records and cassettes, own a bookshelf for its intended purpose, play crossword puzzles over Angry Birds in the waiting room and refused to purchase Star Wars on DVD until the original 1977 Han-shot-Greedo-first version was briefly made available in that format. (If anyone’s selling, I’m still looking for an original edition of The Empire Strikes Back on DVD - that’s right, no Blu-Ray).
_If you haven’t yet noticed, I also write for a newspaper.
_I’m from the tech-savvy generation that was still young enough to jump into the world wide web - both as a concept and technological/communication advancement - with both feet and eyes closed when home Internet access was still a relatively new concept and inventions like smartphones were still in the realm of science fiction, next to the transporter room and light-speed travel. But years later, I refuse to make such jumps until absolutely necessary, like when video stores (remember those?) swapped tapes for discs.
There’s a joke in The Big Lebowski that sums up the analog-vs.-digital debate that can’t be repeated here, but its basic message is why fix what ain’t broke. Coincidentally, I still own a VHS copy of that movie.
_That’s not to say technology is a bad thing. Far from it. I refuse to go back to a life before the conveniences of the Internet. I also own a current-generation gaming console, if mainly for the purpose of replaying games that were released 15+ years ago (seriously, no one needs another Call of Duty sequel - get something like Metal Slug if you need a quick fix of video carnage. Primitive but satisfying).
_My biggest hurdle has been social media. Although not a stranger to this world by any means, Twitter hasn’t grabbed my imagination as it has many others, and I don’t care much for looking at other people’s vacation photos on Facebook, where on at least one occasion, I’ve half-jokingly blamed Mark Zuckerberg for effectively destroying interpersonal communication as we knew it in the 20th century.
_But I’ve come around and if not openly embraced, given social media the electronic equivalent of the bro-hug (I hate that term) and ventured into the so-called Twitterverse (ditto the previous bracket), as evidenced by the new logo next to my mugshot above.
_One-hundred and forty characters is still far too little to convey anything approaching the realm of the profound, but that’s indicative of my reservations toward the format, which was not meant for such a use to begin with. Besides, I still have this space.
_See you on the Interweb.
_I can be found on Twitter @BlakeWolfeEdit. Check for community events, news items and some occasional snarky commentary.