What on earth did we do before WP? I'm old enough to remember the olden days before WP existed and the practice of reading the news.

I also remember the whispers and chatter outside of and around the 'papers. Those whispers etc would reinforce a later article.

What is happening now with news ie top down dissemination of world events is not new but what is different today is the immediacy of commentary by the hoi poloi - you and me and who knows what from across the world ... and bots.

I think we have to get to grips with the fact that an event happening within one corner of the world measuring an inch squared can rock up on the agenda of anyone, anywhere across the entire world.

I miss making monthly trips to the local university library as a child. I would have some infatuation, often related to electronics or programming, and would get a big book on it and just dive in for a few weeks. There were magazines on microfilm. It felt like a privilege to get that information. You had to wait to get to it and would only possess it for a while. The ideas would simmer for long stretches without any ability to instantly cross-check your information or get clarifications or feedback on work. Trite, I know, but I feel joy just thinking about that whole experience.

> What on earth did we do before WP? I'm old enough to remember the olden days before WP existed and the practice of reading the news.

Libraries and encyclopedias were my mainstays until Wikipedia came along. Many libraries still have a current affairs section that covers the news.