Did I get with it?

I think so. I set up alerts and RSS feeds and got some interesting results. I did the extra reading and learnt about more exciting technologies.

Take, for example, the longpen devised by Margaret Atwood for interacting remotely with her readers:

People stood before a TV screen showing Atwood sitting in Toronto. Up in a corner of the screen was a live feed of the person in Halifax. Atwood talked to the person a couple of minutes, got the name (and perhaps any dedication desired). In Halifax, someone put a copy of the book in a machine on the top of a filing cabinet-sized unit. The book was put in clamps (reminded me some of the wringer rollers used in old washing machines). Once clamped, a pen(?) attached to a moving arm, something like the arms which hold drills on a dentist's chair, moved across the paper as Atwood moved her hand on the screen (I could not clearly see the implement she used). Then the book was unclamped and handed to the patron.

 
What's next? We must be open minded about innovations and willing to learn - an online program like this one is a great help. Thank you team! :)