Print, Digital and the Number 42...

If you are a fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (HGG) you may recall that 42 is the answer to “life, the universe, and everything!” So as 10/10 approaches—and 101010 represents 42 in binary code—I think of it as an annual numerological alignment between print and its digital significant other, and take it as a sign to post about this relationship. It’s also an opportunity to use as many Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy references I can fit!

So long, and thanks for all the Fish...Let’s start with: print isn’t going anywhere. What we print, and how much we print may fluctuate with the times, but printing has been around since Mesopotamia 3000 BC. In the mid-15th century the printing press came along and made things easier for everyone and has continued to evolve into and beyond the present day. That’s a pretty long run to be simply wiped off the earth with the advent and purchase of tablets, e-readers and smart phones.

Mostly Harmless... Having used my Point of View Gun, we hopefully agree that print is part of our lives and here to stay. I now turn your direction to technology...and the “D” word. For every road that closes in the universe, a hyperspace bypass opens. Sure, some things must be torn down to make way for the improvements, but it doesn’t change the base concept that things move from one place to another. We are in the information transfer business. You can take the slow lane, the fast lane or combine your effort to cover the most ground and still have time to stop at the Restaurant at the End of Universe for lunch. Whether you call it cross-channel, multi-channel, print media or cross-media, it’s time to stop thinking and start doing. Stick out your thumb and take the ride!