When Winston Churchill was in New York in late March 1946, the Soundscriber Corporation gave him a dictaphone and he bought 1,000 plastic storage cartridges, enough to record 250,000 words. The new-fangled gadget even had a buzzer to remind him to change cartridges. Did he use the contraption? Of course not! He preferred to stick to what he knew - late-night work sessions in which he dictated to Nina "Jo" Sturdee or one of his other long-suffering secretaries as he paced around his Chartwell study.
Like Churchill, I've always been somewhat suspicious of the latest and greatest in tech land - ironic given that I spend an inordinate amount of time writing about technology. I have mocked Facebook, Twitter et al from afar, but now the time is here to abandon my social media phobia and jump into it with both feet, come what may.
So, from now on, you can "follow" me on Twitter (there's no real way to implore "follow me" without sounding like a cult leader, is there), read this blog and (gulp), soon see what I'm up to on Facebook (more on that to follow). Also, you should peruse a wonderful blog on history, culture and education that I contribute to - Boston University's Historical Society, which publishes the insightful and respected journal Historically Speaking.
I welcome the chance to converse with you, to share ideas and to learn from you as we navigate these new and frankly terrifying online waters together!
PW
