pencil and paper

pencil and paper
 n.

   An archaic information storage and transmission device that works by
   depositing smears of graphite on bleached wood pulp. More recent
   developments in paper-based technology include improved `write-once'
   update devices which use tiny rolling heads similar to mouse balls to
   deposit colored pigment. All these devices require an operator skilled
   at so-called `handwriting' technique. These technologies are
   ubiquitous outside hackerdom, but nearly forgotten inside it. Most
   hackers had terrible handwriting to begin with, and years of
   keyboarding tend to have encouraged it to degrade further. Perhaps for
   this reason, hackers deprecate pencil-and-paper technology and often
   resist using it in any but the most trivial contexts.
    

pencil and paper

   An archaic information storage and transmission device that
   works by depositing smears of graphite on bleached wood pulp.
   More recent developments in paper-based technology include
   improved "write-once" update devices which use tiny rolling
   heads similar to mouse balls to deposit coloured pigment.  All
   these devices require an operator skilled at so-called
   "handwriting" technique.  These technologies are ubiquitous
   outside hackerdom, but nearly forgotten inside it.  Most
   hackers had terrible handwriting to begin with, and years of
   keyboarding tend to have encouraged it to degrade further.
   Perhaps for this reason, hackers deprecate pencil-and-paper
   technology and often resist using it in any but the most
   trivial contexts.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1994-12-06)