Books Quote by Walter J. Ong
““Manuscripts were not easy to read, by later typographic standards, and what readers found in manuscripts they tended to commit at least somewhat to memory. Relocating material in a manuscript was not always easy.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Presence of the Word, Walter J. Ong, 1967
Manuscripts were hard to read, so readers memorized them; moving text was difficult.
In simple terms: Hard‑to‑read manuscripts forced memorization and limited re‑arrangement.
Key Takeaway
Embrace clear, editable formats for easier knowledge transfer.
Themes
communication
memory
technology
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
educational
historical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- historical study
- digital archiving
Key Concepts
cognitive load
information preservation
textuality
Questions to Reflect On
- How does format affect retention?
- What benefits does digital text provide?
A Different Perspective
Modern digital tools reduce these constraints.
![“The manuscript you submit [should not] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work, rather than counting on some stranger in Manhattan to do it for him.” quote by Richard North Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd8/richard-north-patterson-25352_counting_the-manuscript-you-submit-should-not-con_719345.jpg)
