What does Baron mean by the concept of "a better pencil" and how might that impact style?

Baron's discussion of "a better pencil" is simply his exploration of how different technologies have affected writing. Before reading Baron, I had not thought of the pencil as an instrument of technology, but placing it in perspective historically, it's interesting to note the different reactions brought about by technological advances in writing tools.

Although referring specifically to the pencil, Dixon Ticonderoga's mission statement lays a foundation for how people are able to express themselves through the use of the pencil and almost any other current technological tool. People are empowered "to take conscious and subliminal thoughts--facts, ideas, dreams--and preserve them using tools that are extension of themselves" (42). It's hard to imagine the freedom and the ease people experienced when they were able to make their writing "portable," no longer tethered to a desk.

As far as how these technologies affect style, I'm not so sure. Do they making writing easier? Certainly. Computers, laptops, writing tablets, even trendy phones, all provide tools to make the generation and dissemination of ideas convenient. But ease and convenience don't always equate to better. We certainly have the means to be more prolific, but as Thoreau points out of Maine and Texas, we "may have nothing important to communicate" (33). So although technology does democratize the creation and publication of thought, it also means there is probably a considerable amount of information generated that provides limited value.

Regardless of our assessment of the content's quality, the tools we choose with which to express our thoughts definitely affect the style of our communication. Pencil and paper, even typewritten, printed text bring with it a set of conventional expectations, I think. William's principles of style seem to fit more comfortably in this setting. Moving to computers, Kindles, and iPhones with variable screen sizes and almost infinite design options, I think more goes into style than just well constructed sentences. Clarity and coherence will always be important, but they may be expressed in different ways depending on audience needs and the technology accessible to the community. Visual elements, bullets, highlighting, and hyperlinks, can aid in organization, balance, emphasis, and clarity. So, I think whatever technology we use to create and share our thoughts can't help but shape our style.