What's a fax machine?

I was doing some research into the dynamics of recent technology trends not long ago. My investigations turned up a fascinating New York Times article from 1989 by technology writer John Markoff.

The article - entitled "Computer Mail Gaining a Market" - comments on the way that an emerging form of communication called "electronic mail" was starting to challenge the fax machine as the way people in business communicated with one another. No joke.

I couldn't help from smiling as I read Markoff's twenty-two year old article. And the thought also struck me that a teenager today who picked it up to read might ask, "What's a fax machine?"

My new column in the United Methodist Reporter looks at how rapid shifts in technology pose a challenge to the Christian faith. One of the chief ways this happens is technology's impact on how we go about being the church.

As we move more and more into a virtual existence in the day-to-day of our lives, we've got to remember that the body of Christ we've been baptized into is a real thing. Human relationships can be difficult to form and sustain. There is an ever-present temptation today to allow our digital interfacing to replace those relationships simply because it seems like an easier way to live.

Anyone who doesn't understand the danger of falling prey to that temptation simply hasn't thought about the consequences long enough. Technology needs to be engaged carefully and critically. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.

Don't get me wrong; I'm no luddite. I am typing these thoughts on a laptop and posting them on the Internet, after all. Here's the column link if you want to read more about Markoff's thoughts on "computer mail."