In the forty years I have walked the long and lonely halls of this particular study, this is about the most and the best I've heard concerning the typewriter. I know now I need to start listening to it again and again so I'll have at least most of it committed to memory. I am humbled. Thank you, Mr. Van Cleave.

I have been a watchmaker (one who repairs watches) for over 50 years. I appreciate vintage typewriters the same as I do vintage watches, they were made in an era where quality, pride and people worked together. Today, we live in a throw away society, if your microwave quits, you trash it. I own many fine watches, the one I wear and like the most was made around the same era as my 38 lb. Olympia typewriter, both made with quality and function the same as when new.

@samlarsen2430

2 жыл бұрын

Me too

Good video. After watching a lot of videos on the Internet on why we use typewriters, I came up with the real reason: I was lying to myself, and the real reason I use a fountain pen, obsolete applications on my computer or a typewriter is that I like the "look and feel". You're right: you feel connected to the "machine" if you hit every single key and hear de "whap" in the paper. Thank you for your video.

If you want “that” word you’re going to work for it. Like finger/brain connection. It’s strengthened with a manual. Pilates mind/body connectivity. When my coach instructed me to do certain moves I’d never done I felt the disconnect. The connection was never there. So I understand your point. And I liked driving a stick because it kept me awake. Interrupting my habit of dozing whilst driving. Another component is time to process in the moment. A little time goes along way toward harvesting your thoughts versus rushing. Speed kills deeper thinking about what you want to say. I think the simple idea of sharing why manuals engaged you was very interesting. I’m asking myself the same thing. Cleaning every Olympia typewriter in the Oklahoma City Public School system at 15 years old May have something to do with it. My first job. Over a vat/barrel of benzene with a spray wand and only a paper mask wasn’t healthy. I believe it triggered a mutant gene that caught up with me in adulthood in the form of a blood disorder. Polycythemia. The aderall must be wearing off I’m drifting away from the topic at hand. I’m also interested in light portability in a writing machine. I’m sure you know the good ones from the bad. I’ll check and see if you already produced a video on it.

Joe, the use of a typewriter, especially a well tuned manual machine, is the interaction between man and machine, the interaction of depressing the key and the response of the key return, you just don't get this interaction with a computer key board

As someone who has been keeping a journal fairly consistently for almost 2 years and is now just getting into typewriters, I think the reason handwriting feels less "free" than typewriting is because it takes longer. When there are more complex movements and more time to form letters and words, you have to carefully weigh what you want to write with the time you are given. Because of this limitation, I have often found that I have overly condensed what I was trying to write, and that removes a bit of that sense of freedom. When I use a typewriter, I sit down and start typing random things that come to my mind, and I have half a page done before I know it. If only there was a way I could type directly into my journal.

@AmbidextrousCrafter

4 жыл бұрын

@Cuthalion42 you can either glue or tape your typed pages to your journal or you can use a disc bound journal/notebook system so you can type directly on the journal pages.

@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

10 ай бұрын

🙏

You nailed it Joe. Mental AND physical connection and feedback loop. Plus, the awesome combination of engineering, artistic design, and ergonomics. It’s the same reason I love riding and adore my road bike.

Well Joe I think you finally got to me and I bought a manual typewriter! It's a 1939 Baby Empire (a Hermes Baby made under license in England). I just cleaned it up and it's working fine. The word Empire made me think about your last comment. Typewriters were not only a tool of subversion but also dominance. My new toy is literally, and proudly a piece of imperial technology. Imagine that in a Star Wars movie and you get the undertones.

@Joe_VanCleave

2 жыл бұрын

Congrats! I hope you have many enjoyable hours creating with it.

@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

10 ай бұрын

@@Joe_VanCleave Congratulations! It is better.

Enjoyed the video a lot, as I too like to write on an typewriter (IBM Selectric)

Thank you Joe. Really well presented. Looking forward to watching (or listening to) the upcoming interview.

The typewriter is like a good plane. If you achieve the skill to sharpen, how to read grain direction and master the movement then it is all you need. A computer is like a sander. Its easier to use, replacable to an extent and hardly any skill is required. A plane is all you need. A manual typewriter and the right skill will get the job done.

@Joe_VanCleave

5 жыл бұрын

Good analogy.

Joe… what a fantastic discussion… wow, it complemented a lot fragmented frases I had hovering over my head. “The first thought is the best thought.” Wow. Great. And sure… it’s a cybernetic extension of our mind. That’s a fantastic perception. Comparing it to writing, at least for me, touches the aspect or speed/celerity, because with the typewriter I can immediately type out my thoughts, whereas with writing, i’m always processing and correcting the output, while the words make themselves slooowly present on the paper…

Absolutely love this video. This is literally a MUST SEE for anyone who has ever asked the question: "why typewriters?"

I think you pretty much nailed it! The physical action of pressing the key and feeling the lever is very important to me. Physicality is traditionally very underrated when doing creative work in our western society, though it plays a huge part in most creatives people life's and thinking. Was that your wife acting tele prompter? I'd be real impressed if you held all that in your head and delivered it so succinctly.

@Joe_VanCleave

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I was holding a typewritten sheet off to the side of the camera. Typed on the Hermes 3000 "Nekkid Riter" seen in the video. I'll do an episode about this typewriter soon. But I had read and reread my thoughts enough to not have to read the sheet word-for-word, they were more like notes to jog my memory.

@thethriftyfawn

2 жыл бұрын

@@Joe_VanCleave All this time I thought you had a flip screen that flipped to one side, and checking your shot intermittently as you went lol 😄

One factor why typing a stream of consciousness is easier than writing it per hand could be the rhythm and sound of the typing. As why it is easier to remember a song that rhymes it could be easier to find words when you have a given rhythm. And there also seems to be an effect of rhythm direct on the memory.

Excellent analysis Joe, Thank You. Much like a manual film camera.

Wow! Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Very informative.

I love the point you bring up with regards to word processors making red underlines with suggestions on spelling and grammar etc... that drives me NUTS!!! Especially if I'm trying to enter lowercase metadata. Even aside from that, I've always found it to be obnoxious and aggravating.

This rather reminds me of the secretary of the Speech and Hearing Therapy department at my university who was given a word processing computer to replace her typewriter. The professor would give her documents to type and print. She would then correct the 'draft' print. The secretary would then re-type the whole document making different mistakes of course. So we eventually figured out that she was using the word processor as a typewriter, never saving a document for later correction. She was then sent on a very quick course and soon got to know how to use it properly. My father-in-law was somewhat different. I got him a computer and a word processing package and a printer and away he went. I found out later that all his documents had the same name, in fact there was only ever one document. With a new document he would open the existing one, delete all of it and then type the new one, saving it under the same old name. After printing he did not care what happened to what he had typed. As a computer aside, my father-in-law's computer was or is a Hermes 3000 1965 European model with all the accents in order to type é, è and even the German ö and a dedicated key for the ç. He was French-speaking and used to type his radio scripts on the Hermes. I recently found it and have resurrected it with some help from KZread videos. This was mainly cleaning the action so the keys didn't get stuck. HIs wife was also different. She phoned me once and said that 'all my pages are gone!' The software was multimate. If you typed something and shut off MM the software would ask for a filename and save it. But she used to type a few pages, maybe print it and then just switch off the computer, thereby losing all new work. So I had to do a short explanation of how the computer worked. Then all was now ok. That rather reminded me of my first day as an on-line programmer in COBOL back in 1981. The pooter was an IBM 370-158 and the software I was using was ROSCOE. (As an aside they used to say that was short for 'Remote OS COnversational Environment. I found out later that it was actually the name of the writer's dog!) Anyway I wrote many lines of code taking all day and then the computer went down. I had not saved my work at any time. The save command was U space * and I became very good at typing that!

@Joe_VanCleave

Жыл бұрын

Those were the days!

@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

10 ай бұрын

🙏

Hi Joe, excellent topic, I just watched your video, congratulations! I follow you on KZread and I always really enjoy your videos. In past days, as a personal reflection, I wrote an analysis of the cognitive and motor differences between typing on a typewriter and a computer. I share it with the community, I hope it is of interest to you: *Attention and Error Correction* When typing on a typewriter, the margin for error is smaller in the sense that each keystroke produces a printed character, and there is no easy "undo" option. This can encourage greater attention and precision in work, as errors require significant effort to correct. This type of sustained and conscious attention can improve concentration abilities and could positively influence working memory, which is crucial for tasks that require following instructions or handling multiple pieces of information simultaneously. *Creativity and Reflection* The limitation of not being able to easily erase can also influence creativity and reflection. Faced with the permanence of printed words, users may feel more compelled to think deeply before writing, which could lead to a more rigorous reflective process and, possibly, greater originality in expression. This aspect is similar to the effect of "slow media," where the slower, more deliberate process can lead to greater appreciation and content quality. *Motor Coordination* From a neuromotor perspective, typing on a typewriter involves a series of more defined and deliberate movements compared to computer keyboards. Typewriter keys typically require more force and precision to activate, which can contribute to the development of fine motor skills. Additionally, tactile and auditory feedback (the sound of the strikes) provides sensory stimulation that can enhance hand-eye coordination and sensory perception. *Difference with Computer Keyboards* Computer keyboards, on the other hand, allow for quick corrections and have various assistive tools (such as automatic spell checkers), which can reduce the level of attention needed to avoid errors and might, in some cases, decrease the ability to detect and correct errors without technological assistance. *Mental and Emotional Conditions* Mindfulness and Anxiety Reduction: Typing on a typewriter can foster a form of mindfulness, as it requires concentration and attention to the present moment. This activity could be useful for people suffering from anxiety or stress, as the necessary focus can provide a break from intrusive or worrying thoughts. Expression and Emotional Processing: Writing about thoughts and feelings can be therapeutic. The tactile and deliberate nature of typing might make the act of writing more intentional and potentially more beneficial for processing complex emotions. *Recovery from Vascular Crisis or Nervous System Events* Motor Rehabilitation: After events like a stroke, activities that require fine motor coordination, such as typing, can be incorporated into the rehabilitation plan. This can help improve dexterity, hand strength, and overall coordination. Reintegration of Cognitive Skills: Typing can aid in cognitive rehabilitation, as it involves memory (recalling the layout of the keys), attention, and sequencing skills. These are crucial aspects that often need to be reinforced after neurological damage.

@Joe_VanCleave

Ай бұрын

Bravo!

I do love these videos. But it seems to me there's little point in purchasing a typewriter for use unless you really know how to fix them yourself. Otherwise they will without doubt break. And then what--- if There are no people around capable of fixing them?

@orafaelcesar

4 жыл бұрын

Typewriters don't break, sweetheart.

@hammill444

4 жыл бұрын

@@orafaelcesar Uh, Yes, they do. Quite frequently in fact.

@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536

10 ай бұрын

@@orafaelcesar On your head they will break. Certainly.Try. 💋s to you, my dear Rafael Cesar.