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The question is whether these advantages are because text is a better communication medium, or because of the limitations of our technology? Take using a compu

The question is whether these advantages are because text is a better communication medium, or because of the limitations of our technology? Take using a computer to type a word versus draw a picture: Effectively everyone who uses a computer can type a word, but I'd bet less than 10% could draw a circle. But put a piece of paper in front of someone and effectively everyone can draw a circle. This points to there being a limitation in the technology for working with other forms of media, not the effectiveness of the communication medium itself. This isn't to say that text isn't also a better communication medium, but it is to say, until the technology has improved for communicating with other media, it's difficult to compare without basing the decision on the limitations of the technology. In other words, most of the perceived advantages of text are really advantages of text being easier to represent digitally (or generally reproduced, e.g., printing press), not advantages of text as a communication medium itself.

mannykannot 6y ago
It is not plausible that, but for the limitations of technology, you could substitute a picture for the argument presented in your post.
- scroot 6y ago
  Walter Ong said something like (paraphrasing): "If the phrase 'a picture is worth a thousand words' is true, then why does it need to be a phrase at all?"
  - iamcurious 6y ago
    Cause that phrase is just 7 words. A picture would have 993 other unnecessary words.
    - CRConrad 6y ago
      Never mind the 993, show us a picture that conveys those seven -- and any 993 other unnecessary ones you want. If the seven were true, that should be easy. Heck, I won't hold it against you if there are as many as 1,042 extra words, or as few as 763. But I betcha you can't find one that clearly says what seven little words of text do. Which goes to show that those seven little words are a lie.
- robenkleene 6y ago
  I don't disagree, I think some ideas are better expressed as text others by other forms of media. E.g., that's why we use graphs, diagrams, storyboards, flowcharts, etc... in addition to text to communicate. For the record, I came up with this thought, about computers and software being optimized for text, by realizing I learned the best by reading information presented as a combination of text and media (e.g., a textbook with diagrams), but when I communicate with a computer, I always just use text, why? Well, making media with a computer is a huge PITA, I'm assuming because you program the computer itself with text, so its entire interface seems optimized for that. (This is particularly interesting looking in contrast to smartphones and tablets, which are entirely not optimized for text.)
  - mannykannot 6y ago
    I take your point, as I often sketch things myself to help me think, but only pencil-on-paper. I would guess there are tools for sketching with a stylus on a tablet, but I have never felt a pressing-enough need to push me into checking them out.
koonsolo 6y ago
Ah come on, this is not accurate at all. We have tons of tech now: audio, video, charting, etc. Circles are pretty easy in powerpoint or any such software. The tech is obviously here already. But still, why do people prefer sending chat texts instead of calling or video calling? Surely not because of tech.
- dkersten 6y ago
  > Why do people prefer sending chat texts instead of calling or video calling? This isn't universally true. I (unfortunately, for me, since I hate it personally) know plenty of people who prefer voice or video calls. I even have people who will reply with voice recordings to my text messages. Many people prefer voice or video. I prefer text because of two main reasons: 1. Its asynchronous. I can reply as needed while not being disturbed if I happen to be in the middle of something. 2. Its not real time. That is, I can take my time to form my response. I can proof read, edit, clearly form my thoughts etc. In a voice/video recording, editing is difficult, in a live setting, I'm under more time pressure to finish my sentences rather than thinking about them more. I don't prefer text because of technology reasons, except those that make text more asynchronous and easier to proof read and edit. But many people I know or have interacted with hate text and prefer voice or video.
  - danShumway 6y ago
    There's a lot of selectivity happening on this post. Nobody here has worked in an office where the management prefer video calls instead of Slack messaging? I've seen no shortage of people on HN argue that this kind of text-based communication is inferior to video calls or screen shares when solving tech problems. It seems pretty obvious to me that text, video, audio, and images are good for different things, and that diversity is reflected in the ecosystem. There isn't a universal trend towards or away from text, not really. People are making fewer voice calls, but they're also consuming more content on Youtube instead of on blogs. They're also moving a lot of their social life onto platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which are primarily video/image. I don't see a universal trend here in either direction. I think people are cherry-picking a couple of isolated trends or points and making really broad, generalized statements that aren't warranted. The whole idea of picking a "best" medium here is silly anyway. It's childish, in the same way that people used to argue about whether books, movies, or games were the 'best' artistic medium. Different mediums are good for different things.
everdrive 6y ago
A circle doesn't usually convey very many ideas, though. Words can.
- C4stor 6y ago
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- robenkleene 6y ago
  Circles are building blocks of pictures, which can convey ideas, just like words are a building blocks of sentences.
  - Cogito 6y ago
    A circle has a fixed level of abstraction, and representing a complex thought requires many circles. Importantly, in a complex image each individual circle doesn't convey much information, it's the composition that encodes any information. Words have a near arbitrary level of abstraction, so that single words can convey immense collections of ideas, so much so that new words can be defined that represent the ideas that would otherwise take many words to express.
andrewflnr 6y ago
I think he's trying to express a point about the gradient is the whole human-communication-technology system than precise properties of any part of it. And I say "express" rather than "make a point" because I don't think he expects to convince anyone. It's summed-up life experience, not a proof.
alan-crowe 6y ago
For an example of shiny new technology being better than text, have a look at Kevin Simler's interactive essay http://35.161.88.15/interactive/going-critical/ http://35.161.88.15/interactive/going-critical/ There is something about playing with the sliders and watching that plague die out and flare up, that makes the point with a vividness beyond words.
schwartzworld 6y ago
If someone can draw a circle on a piece of paper they can do it on a computer. The only difference is that we start you practicing doing it on paper in preschool.

mannykannot 6y ago

It is not plausible that, but for the limitations of technology, you could substitute a picture for the argument presented in your post.

scroot 6y ago
Walter Ong said something like (paraphrasing): "If the phrase 'a picture is worth a thousand words' is true, then why does it need to be a phrase at all?"
- iamcurious 6y ago
  Cause that phrase is just 7 words. A picture would have 993 other unnecessary words.
  - CRConrad 6y ago
    Never mind the 993, show us a picture that conveys those seven -- and any 993 other unnecessary ones you want. If the seven were true, that should be easy. Heck, I won't hold it against you if there are as many as 1,042 extra words, or as few as 763. But I betcha you can't find one that clearly says what seven little words of text do. Which goes to show that those seven little words are a lie.
robenkleene 6y ago
I don't disagree, I think some ideas are better expressed as text others by other forms of media. E.g., that's why we use graphs, diagrams, storyboards, flowcharts, etc... in addition to text to communicate. For the record, I came up with this thought, about computers and software being optimized for text, by realizing I learned the best by reading information presented as a combination of text and media (e.g., a textbook with diagrams), but when I communicate with a computer, I always just use text, why? Well, making media with a computer is a huge PITA, I'm assuming because you program the computer itself with text, so its entire interface seems optimized for that. (This is particularly interesting looking in contrast to smartphones and tablets, which are entirely not optimized for text.)
- mannykannot 6y ago
  I take your point, as I often sketch things myself to help me think, but only pencil-on-paper. I would guess there are tools for sketching with a stylus on a tablet, but I have never felt a pressing-enough need to push me into checking them out.

koonsolo 6y ago

Ah come on, this is not accurate at all. We have tons of tech now: audio, video, charting, etc. Circles are pretty easy in powerpoint or any such software. The tech is obviously here already. But still, why do people prefer sending chat texts instead of calling or video calling? Surely not because of tech.

dkersten 6y ago
> Why do people prefer sending chat texts instead of calling or video calling? This isn't universally true. I (unfortunately, for me, since I hate it personally) know plenty of people who prefer voice or video calls. I even have people who will reply with voice recordings to my text messages. Many people prefer voice or video. I prefer text because of two main reasons: 1. Its asynchronous. I can reply as needed while not being disturbed if I happen to be in the middle of something. 2. Its not real time. That is, I can take my time to form my response. I can proof read, edit, clearly form my thoughts etc. In a voice/video recording, editing is difficult, in a live setting, I'm under more time pressure to finish my sentences rather than thinking about them more. I don't prefer text because of technology reasons, except those that make text more asynchronous and easier to proof read and edit. But many people I know or have interacted with hate text and prefer voice or video.
- danShumway 6y ago
  There's a lot of selectivity happening on this post. Nobody here has worked in an office where the management prefer video calls instead of Slack messaging? I've seen no shortage of people on HN argue that this kind of text-based communication is inferior to video calls or screen shares when solving tech problems. It seems pretty obvious to me that text, video, audio, and images are good for different things, and that diversity is reflected in the ecosystem. There isn't a universal trend towards or away from text, not really. People are making fewer voice calls, but they're also consuming more content on Youtube instead of on blogs. They're also moving a lot of their social life onto platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which are primarily video/image. I don't see a universal trend here in either direction. I think people are cherry-picking a couple of isolated trends or points and making really broad, generalized statements that aren't warranted. The whole idea of picking a "best" medium here is silly anyway. It's childish, in the same way that people used to argue about whether books, movies, or games were the 'best' artistic medium. Different mediums are good for different things.

everdrive 6y ago

A circle doesn't usually convey very many ideas, though. Words can.

C4stor 6y ago
◯ ◯ ◠
robenkleene 6y ago
Circles are building blocks of pictures, which can convey ideas, just like words are a building blocks of sentences.
- Cogito 6y ago
  A circle has a fixed level of abstraction, and representing a complex thought requires many circles. Importantly, in a complex image each individual circle doesn't convey much information, it's the composition that encodes any information. Words have a near arbitrary level of abstraction, so that single words can convey immense collections of ideas, so much so that new words can be defined that represent the ideas that would otherwise take many words to express.

andrewflnr 6y ago

I think he's trying to express a point about the gradient is the whole human-communication-technology system than precise properties of any part of it. And I say "express" rather than "make a point" because I don't think he expects to convince anyone. It's summed-up life experience, not a proof.

alan-crowe 6y ago

For an example of shiny new technology being better than text, have a look at Kevin Simler's interactive essay http://35.161.88.15/interactive/going-critical/ http://35.161.88.15/interactive/going-critical/ There is something about playing with the sliders and watching that plague die out and flare up, that makes the point with a vividness beyond words.

schwartzworld 6y ago

If someone can draw a circle on a piece of paper they can do it on a computer. The only difference is that we start you practicing doing it on paper in preschool.