Monday, July 13, 2009

Anyone noticed how "wireless" is modern again?

written by Mil
Almost as if by magic the word "wireless" has regained its modernity. Once it meant what later became known as the "radio" - a device which in turn gave up its right to any sense of newness until the word "digital" got tagged on at the beginning. Now it's the turn of "wireless" again, as 3G telephony and Internet routers invisibly invade our airwaves.

Thinking back - as I am - to my grandfather's John Lennon glasses, I wonder now if it isn't too late to rescue the word "spectacles". MPs expenses and News of the World shenanigans mightn't be a bad place to start, eh?
21st century labels:

2 thoughtful fixes:

  1. The great "io" days - Rad-io, Aud-io, Cas-io - all seemed futuristic at the time (70's, 80's) and wireless was an antique term back then - like the way Punk Rock made groups like Genesis suddenly seem like relics of an ancient civilisation. But Progressive Rock is cool again now and Punk seems very antique.

    I think there is a conscious decision by us to revive or recycle cultural language or even culture in general and apply it to modern inventions and trends. "Spectacles" has kind of been revived into "Specs", so we soon might see the entire word returning ;-)

    Were the inventors of "wireless" network connections thinking about the original definition in a nostalgic way when the newer phrase was coined? Not quite sure how it came about, maybe just coincidence. "Wireless" is quite a literal term, does what it says.
    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Paul - form follows function, eh? Back to Bauhaus beauty perhaps.
    ReplyDelete

I love receiving comments and feedback and always try and answer constructively. So go on then - fire away!

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)