McLuhan writes
Just before an airplane breaks the sound barrier, sound waves become visible on the wings of the plane. The sudden visibility of sound just as it ends is an apt instance of the great pattern of being that reveals new and opposite forms just as the earlier forms reach their peak performance.
Think through this metaphor in relation to technologies of writing and publishing. In what sense might we say that the medium of print becomes visible just at the moment it is “superceded” by the internet?
That all depends... I mean, I don't know. I can't really think of a such an example since print still hasn't died as of yet. I suppose I think of newspapers when I think of this metaphor. I remember liking the feel of the newspaper and reading from it. I also didn't mind the smell all that much, but nowadays I get all my news from the internet. Newspapers cost money and the internet is technically free (if you don't count the internet bill) and its basically the same type of news you would receive on the newspaper as you would see it online. There's also the easy of navigating through news headline links on the internet as opposed to flipping pages and unfolding them with using the newspaper. Also the comments section can be funny and the debates that go on can also be quite entertaining, yet I haven't really seen the death of newspaper either. It is still around for those who still prefer it over any other medium. Other than that, I'm not quite sure... of how I can think of the relationship of print and the internet in relation to the metaphor that is given.
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