The art of written communication has evolved completely over time but in another sense it has come full circle, we have journeyed from the stone tablet to the digital tablet over the last 7,000 years. The first known apparatus used for writing was the Stone Tablet, with Moses famously writing the Ten Commandments from the Bible on them. It then evolved to using the first ever form on paper, papyrus in Ancient China, Guttenberg’s Printing Press during the Reformation, the chalkboard, the typewriter, the computer, the mobile telephone, the internet and finally the electronic tablet.
To come from a block of stone to a slim, multi-functional electronic tablet is quite the feat. The 2 main figures involved in each of these, respectively, were Moses and Steve Jobs. You may wonder what they have in common, coming from completely different times in history but both men were responsible for creating and writing their own 10 Commandments. Moses focused on how he thought you should live a good life whereas Jobs’ commandments are dedicated on how to get ahead in business.
The widespread use of electronic tablets also questions if the use of paper will go the same way the stone tablet did, eventually becoming obsolete. With an application available for just about anything nowadays on a tablet will there be need for any other form of written communication. You can even download an app to make your electronic tablet represent a stone tablet. The history of written communication has become more efficient, faster and in most cases reliable over time. What will come after the electronic tablet is still unknown but it is believed that it will continue to evolve and become more and more advanced to suit peoples ever changing needs. From tablet to tablet, the journey continues…
This infographic is contributed by Enda O’Reilly who works at www.needashredder.ie
