Before the Telephone
Before the telephone was invented people communicated in many ways. "They sent letters. ... It took forever to deliver one letter. Some used drums to beat out a message. Some used fire to communicate - they sent smoke signals. ... They sent messages from one hilltop to another by raising or lowering a semaphore tower's arms. If it was foggy, no one could see the message. People would put a message into a little container on a carrier pigeon's leg. The bird would fly to the person receiving the message. People would write messages will quill pens and send them by a postal system. Some went by stagecoach. Pony Express riders galloped thousands of miles from one side of the United States to the other (to deliver mail). Lanterns were used to flash out a message in a code called Morse code. Morse code was also sent by wires through the telegraph. You had to be able to read the code to use it." (Summary of Humphrey, 1995).
Impacts of the Telephone on People
The impact of the telephone has been extremely dramatic in the area of education and teaching. This includes, how children can phone an expert to get information on a certain topic than to read a textbook. Since the development of electronics and machinery, writing was no longer the only method of communication across long distances. The invention of the telephone, created a new generation that had a strong sense for listening to one another. Today, it is easier to use a telephone to communicate information about a business deal or idea as it is a more spontaneous and an efficient way to access information than writing or reading. Communication over the telephone can occur within the group or individual at long distances. It eliminates time travel and provides an immediate response back from the person.