I used to really be into "the future" of technology when touch screens were new, keyboards became smooth and silent, and everything started going digital.

However, my opinions have changed over the last year or so. There are some technological advancements I would hate to go back on, mostly ease-of-use (but still customizable) things, such as gmail. And gmail. In fact, I'm not wishing technology would go back in time necessarily, I've just learned that I prefer some things to be less digital and more physical than I used to.

I applaud Wacom tablets and software like Painter and Photoshop, and in many cases they can save a person much pain and suffering. But digital painting will never be the same as the tactile feeling of a pencil in your hand, smudging charcoal around, or seeing each physical brushstroke slowly evolve into an image on a canvas. And digital software can't replace the feeling of scribbling down doodles, ideas, or phrases onto sticky notes or paper scraps, and pinning them to your wall.

I really admire the advances in cellphone and slate technology, but I really would prefer to clack away on a keyboard and click the buttons on a mouse than to poke and swish around a touchscreen. I've daydreamed about owning a kindle, but I never have because I want my books lined up in a shelf where they won't get deleted. I want to see their illustrated covers when I pick them up. I want to let people borrow them if need be. (Though I do wish physical books could have a good search feature.)

I love having all my music organized in a media player so I can access any genre, song, or band at any time, but I still buy CDs because I like the physical presence. I like artwork, I like their names lined up in my shelf, and again I like saying, "Have you heard this? It's awesome. Here, take it with you, go listen to it."

I enjoy technology. I'd just like to appreciate the tactile and tangible things in life and give them the credit they deserve.