From Smells And Grunts To Today

I imagine that the way people communicate has gone through evolutions that somewhat resemble this:

1. Smell the environment – probably before communities started, to stay safe
2. Grunts and hand gestures – communities have started
3. Words and hand gestures – simple information sharing in communities
4. Stories and hand tools – memory of events and the beginning of truth and lies
5. Cave wall paintings – long term memory and its manipulation
6. Marks on rocks and clay – instructions and documentation (recording of and/or distortion of truth)
7. Papyrus – better and easier documents
8. Paper-and-ink, and pigeons – even more better
9. Paper-and-ink and pigeons and emissaries (long-range communication)
10. Hand written/copied books – if its printed then it must be true
11. Gutenburg – more widespread and more “if it’s printed…”
12. Letters and Interoffice Memoranda – ah, paper trails
13. Email – Wow! …fast and better be careful
14. Social Media – super fast and super widespread – dizzying at times
15. The end of civilization as we know it- blue pill or red pill anyone?

From 1 to 12 took thousands of years. From 13 onward, thousands of minutes. Lucky 13?

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