In my role as an editor at WIRED, I spend a lot of time reading pitches. I've noticed that most of the essay ideas we receive about technology tend to fall into a few categories. Among these is the theme of flattening: how some aspect of the internet or our devices has made our world simpler or less rich or more porous. Indeed, I see the flattening effects of technology everywhere in my life. On Twitter, where minor viral moments and major news items carry the same weight. On my phone, where it feels as though my work life and personal life have collapsed into the same space. Even in the words I speak, sometimes I'm alarmed by how algorithmically generated I can sound.
Arguably my favorite kinds of stories, though, are ones that explore how a given technology can add nuance and dimension to the lives of those who use it. (Yes, I'm a sucker.) Constance Hale's 1995 feature, "How Do You Say Computer in Hawaiian?," is a particularly rich example. In it, she documents the movement among Hawaiians to revitalize their native language and culture with the help of a bulletin board system (BBS)—one of the first set up to teach a Native American language—which includes email, a newspaper, chat lines, a bespoke Hawaiian-English dictionary, user feedback, and more.
Hawaiian, Hale points out, is a remarkably precise language, rife with idiosyncrasies. Much of this was erased when missionaries first converted the language into text in the 1820s, even more when Hawaiian was deemed a foreign language by officials in 1900. The development of a Hawaiian BBS came on the heels of decades of activism geared toward restoring the language—both to its full complexity and to its rightful place within the culture. "Can a computer BBS—or, for that matter, can the Net—ever do justice to a language so full of melody and nuance?" Hale mused. "Or, on the other hand, is the Net a fertile ground for languages like Hawaiian? After all, computer networks—home of the 'live chat'—bridge the spoken and the written."
BBS technology has long since been rendered obsolete. I'm not sure what technology followed for this community, but I'd imagine there was something. Building community, bringing a vital language back to life: This is the kind of use case the internet was made for. I'd love to know: Has technology enriched to your life in any ways that feel similar? What have you learned? Who have you connected with? Leave a comment beneath Hale's story or write me a note telling me your own story.
See you next week!
Eve
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حبيبي ليس يعدله حبيب *** ولا لسواه في قلبي نصيب حبيب غاب عن بصري وسمعي *** ولكن في فؤادي ما يغيب يا حبيب ...
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