Machinery and English Style (1904)
Summary
An essay analyzing how writing technologies such as the telegraph, shorthand, and the typewriter shape English style, vocabulary, and punctuation. It argues that these tools push toward speed, economy, and reliability in transmission, often at the expense of linguistic variety and expressive nuance, and compares historical prose under different technological constraints. The piece cautions that technology can both enhance clarity and constrain language, urging mindful balance.