Will literacy become obsolete?

[The idea]

As technologies for recording, accessing, and editing sounds (spoken words) become more sophisticated and less expensive, perhaps it will be less expensive to use such technologies than to teach the next generation to read and write.

For example, a spoken word could be recognized and standardized into a particular "speech font", just as typewriters replace idiosyncratic handwriting with standardized symbols.

Labels on products could still use universal symbols for various hazards (e.g. poison). The usual written language information on labels could be stored in spoken form in portable databases accessed by means of the bar code on the product label. The portable databases would output speech sounds.

Street names could be replaced with street numbers, which one can learn to read quite easily even if one cannot read words.

 

[Dymanic]

Originally posted by The idea

Street names could be replaced with street numbers, which one can learn to read quite easily even if one cannot read words.

73 32 116 104 105 110 107 32 105 116 39 115 32 97 32 115 116 117 112 105 100 32 105 100 101 97

 

[Zep]

Will literacy become obsolete?

Yes, if Kumar has anything to do with it.

 

[Robin]

Can you imagine an office where everybody is talking their instructions into the computer trying to make themselves heard over the din?

You would have to whisper confidential stuff and the computer would continually be saying "what?".

Personally I can't see a replacement for a good book anywhere on the horizon.

 

[Just thinking]

Will literacy become obsolete?

For some people it never even came into fashion.

 

[Vikram]

As technologies for recording, accessing, and editing sounds (spoken words) become more sophisticated and less expensive, perhaps it will be less expensive to use such technologies than to teach the next generation to read and write.

That's an interesting concept, though it must be said that reading is much much faster than listening. For example, if you were in a mall and had to choose one out of thirty different types of coffee, it would take a long long time for the details of each to be spoken out to you. On the other hand, visual scanning of all the thirty types could be completed in a few minutes. This would apply in most cases. People could do without being literate but they would be disadvantaged.

So I doubt literacy will become obsolete. Thank heavens!

 

[drkitten]

Re: Re: Will literacy become obsolete?

That's an interesting concept, though it must be said that reading is much much faster than listening. For example, if you were in a mall and had to choose one out of thirty different types of coffee, it would take a long long time for the details of each to be spoken out to you.

Obviously written by a good reader.

Certainly for some people (I include myself in this group), reading is faster than listening. But for others, reading can be substantially slower. I include myself in this as group as well, when I'm reading other (non-native) languages. In the time it can take me, for example, to puzzle out which train gets me to Tokyo, I could typically have walked there.

On my hands.

Wearing a blindfold.

And carrying a piano.

Part of the advantage of modern technology (and modern internationali[sz]ation) is the availability of other, non-linguistic methods of presenting the information, for example by using non-linguistic icons to represent concepts that do not need to be "read" per se. (How many Americans have been confused by British signs saying "Way out"? On the other hand, the international sign for exit is, well, international and near-universal.) Computer technology can make it possible to present information interactively, again in a way that doesn't require literacy to interpret. A good example of that would be a GPS reciever linked to an electronic map. Instead of writing directions to a given location, or reading them aloud to you, simply present a non-literate user with a map saying 'you are here' and a properly oriented line showing where they need to go.

 

[joesixpack]

The written word will never dye. Litter racey is hear 2 stay. Wear would we b without grate litter rate your?

 

[Vikram]

Re: Re: Re: Will literacy become obsolete?

Instead of writing directions to a given location, or reading them aloud to you, simply present a non-literate user with a map saying 'you are here' and a properly oriented line showing where they need to go.

That's true. Then we who can read can all be elitists.

 

[Darat]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Will literacy become obsolete?

That's true. Then we who can read can all be elitists.

But don’t assume that will be fun, there is a fantastic short story by C.M. Kornbluth called "The Marching Morons" (published in the early fifties) that took the idea of "dumbing down" and ended up in a very strange place. E.g. the elite worked to death trying to keep society going for the "morons" whilst the morons lived the life of Reilly . (Mind you they did come up with a solution.)

 

[Vikram]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Will literacy become obsolete?

But don’t assume that will be fun, there is a fantastic short story by C.M. Kornbluth called "The Marching Morons" (published in the early fifties) that took the idea of "dumbing down" and ended up in a very strange place. E.g. the elite worked to death trying to keep society going for the "morons" whilst the morons lived the life of Reilly . (Mind you they did come up with a solution.)

Drat Darat! You just spoilt my picture perfect fantasy.