The Diffusion Theory: Technology of The Postal System
In continuation of my most recent EOTC blog about communication technology, in this blog, I will apply the diffusion theory to the postal system.
Communication is an intrinsic part of everyday life and without it, the world would be much more complicated. Communication is the core of connectivity between humans all over the world and with the help of technology, we can accomplish just that. It seems (at least to me) when I think of technology, the newest, most popular, and easiest forms of technology come to mind such as the iPhone, Apple watches, all that fun stuff. BUT what doesn't come to mind is what people hundreds of years ago considered "new" and "popular". That's right - try to imagine a world without instant messaging or Facebook (the travesty!)
So back to my focus of the Postal service. We have this idea of written communication really coming into play by 900 BC specifically in China - it's "new" and "popular". An individual could write something, hand it to another person, and hopefully have had it delivered to the desired person. This was the most instant message you'd receive - snail mail! So why did this catch on and spread? Well, if you put it in perspective, this means of technology was really the main form of communication at all besides in-person conversation and clay tablet scripture (sounds pretty good now, huh?) Letter writing became the most reliable means of long-distance communication and it had gained great importance especially when it came to making sure letters were actually delivered. What started the catch on and spread of this communication technology derived from the postal service China had created in order to provide postal service for communication between the government. Soon, following the newest Postal Service innovation, in 100 A.D., Rome used couriers to deliver messages to different corners of the empire. In fact, during the dark ages, the European monastery had developed a letter system in which royal messengers sent messages between ruling leaders, but a single organized method of sending and receiving letters for the common people. So, at this point, not only are important authoritative figures using this communication method but now average citizens as well.
People became early adopters of this trend given the fact that other forms of communication were not efficient or practical. Letter writing could also be considered more personal, private, and efficient as opposed to widespread messages spread through in-person conversation or writing into objects and plots such as pottery, tablets, walls, and structures. Some people may have been considered late adopters of the postal service and letter writing given the fact that they were not able to read or write, so receiving a letter may have had little to no benefit unless they had someone that could interpret it for them. It was only until the middle ages that book production and literacy among populations began to become important in the Western world. Correspondingly, while the ambition of universal literacy in Europe was a fundamental reform born from the enlightenment, it took centuries for it to happen. It was only the 19th and 20th centuries that rates of literacy approached universality in early industrialized countries.
While the rise of the postal service gained popularity, it still wasn't the most effective technique of communication. Risks included lost mail, slow delivery time, damaged or opened mail, stolen mail, I mean think about it- before the Pony express and effective routes were created around the world for effective delivery systems, if an individual was traveling a far distance to deliver mail perhaps by him or herself, there was not a 100% guarantee the deliverer would not encounter any issues along the way - (variables such as weather, negative animal / human encounters, sickness, etc.) And there certainly weren’t phones to be able to call for help. Correspondingly, depending on the importance/ sender of the letter, negative variables of the postal system may have had had less of an effect. For example, a letter between generals discussing military tactics most likely had more pull of importance and urgency as opposed to a letter sent between two commoners of a local town or village. This is also dependent on location whereas some areas of the world may have had bigger/ more advanced postal systems while others just began to adopt it.
I think the creation of the postal system was a smart, strategic, and important milestone in the history of human communication. Written communication was the most effective means of communication for a long time in the world's history. Thinking about modern technology and all it has to offer today really put our technological advancements in perspective. Obviously, as opposed to new communication technologies, letter writing may not be people's preferred method of communication anymore, but it certainly is part of the foundation of where we are today.
https://ourworldindata.org/literacy#all-charts-preview
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-postal-system-established
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