Poll: Influence:Internet or Printing

[tehannihalator]

Hi escapists!
I was talking to my grandad about the internet and somehow we talked about the influence of it all. He started comparing it to the printing press which got me thinking which one has made more of an impact the internet or the printing press

 

[lvl9000_woot]

To me they're about the same. People can put their ideas in the papers or type it online. I think people see information in the papers being more "real" because newspapers are tangible things.

 

[Redingold]

The printing press essentially made knowledge available to the masses. About a century after the invention of the printing press, there were more books in Europe than there were people.

This caused a huge surge in literacy and intelligence among the public, effectively creating the middle class.

Yeah, I'd say the printing press wins this round.

 

[GodofCider]

Realistically: the internet.

It serves a similar function as printed information, only printed information is impossibly restricted, by contrast.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

the printing press was the bigger leap forward, i'd have to say. but not by much. the things the internet has changed/made possible in every aspect of life are pretty astounding, but i'd say the leap from having everything hand written or engraved to mass printing was bigger.

 

[Dorian]

Internet: *looks at emails, online shopping, ease of communication and research, 4Chan, piracy, and the Internet Dickwad Theory*

Printing press: *looks at the possibility for mass literacy, cheapness of books, possibility of Renaissance, bad books, and hate newsletters*

Probably the printing press. It enabled such a tremendous leap forward in learning in the west and has enabled us to not have a large percent of the people to be unable to read this.
Internet, while it is shiny, didn't beget these essential skills.