In view of the possibility for developments of this machine, therefore, there would seem to be no reason why a man sitting at his Zerograph in London, may not, in the future, be able to hold written converse with his correspondents in the furthermost parts of the globe, without the intervention of any physical connection.
This was written 102 years ago, by George Carl Mares, in 1909, in his book: The History of the Typewriter Successor to the Pen: An Illustrated Account of the Origin, Rise and Development of the Writing Machine. Even a century ago, sharp minds, going on little more than an early and relatively crude electric typewriter, were dreaming of a networked future.
Quoted in Alex Goody’s superb book: Technology, Literature and Culture. If you have an interest in the relationship between writing, culture and technology, this book is an absolute must-read!
Technorati Tags: zerograph, george carl mares, typewriter, world wide web, networks
Had a look at the book — very interesting! Huge pity it’s not available as an ebook