The sounds of the past & piped-in typewriter clacking.

New York Times piece on Sunday, 9-14-14:

“The Sounds of the Past

By Hope Reeves

*

There’s nothing like the sound of clack-clack-clacking booming through a loudspeaker to boost your concentration — and if not that, then at least your energy and enthusiasm.  So hopes the brass at The Times of London, which recently began piping the song of manual typewriters into the newsroom in an attempt to inspire reporters to meet deadlines.

“The problem with newspapers now,” said the top editor, John Witherow, “is that keyboards are so silent you could be working in a bank or an insurance company.” Heaven forbid.