Printing sucks

[slickdawg]

i'd hate that job

[Okla-homey]

In defense of the printing trade, Ben Franklin was a printer among other things. He is widely regarded as America's "Da Vinci."

Printers were the guys who first made information readily available to the masses. In that way, they are directly responsible for the renaissance, protestantism, humanism, democracy, and both the advance and the practical application of science. In fact, until Al Gore invented the innerweb, printers pretty much contolled the instrumentality of information transfer.

That said, I agree, printing is often a smelly, inky, job. Sure glad some folks were willing to take it on though. Without them, learning was only possible by direct experimentation or sitting at the feet of the learned in order to take notes or extremely limited access to very expensive hand-written books in dusty monastic libraries.

[King Crimson]

they are responsible for the spread of those things.....not the things themselves. also, (indirectly) responsible for the idea of public opinion and the notion of an educated, literate citizenry as a political force.

though we've strayed from that normative model to politics as spectacle and news as entertainment.

[Okla-homey]

they are responsible for the spread of those things.....not the things themselves. also, (indirectly) responsible for the idea of public opinion and the notion of an educated, literate citizenry as a political force.

though we've strayed from that normative model to politics as spectacle and news as entertainment.

While I agree that printers often did not create the information they published, their role was nevertheless critical and most of us would still be sitting in the mud if they hadn't done so. I liken their role in ending the Dark Ages this way. If I spill a glass of water, it is of no moment that I did not draw the water or fill the glass. The water spreads and flows as it will as a direct result of my act. ;)

[slickdawg]

Another on my lilst of allergies is print ink used in newspapers.

AlGore's innerweb made it so I can read and not sneeze.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Back in the day, I worked at a publishing company (Homey - you'd be familiar with them: West Publishing (now part of Thomson)). The time I spent in the press room and paper warehouse was more interesting than the time spent in my cube. Sadly, if I wanted to get paid, I had to spend a lot more time in my cube than wandering around the production areas.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Of course, the best part of the job was rummaging through the boxes of discarded books.