Bush's Memory Suplement

Bush's writings on technology and progression say a lot about the thought of his era. For example, many of his ideas are centered around mechanical devices as opposed to the streamlined electronics of our day. But because of this mindset, his language offers unique insight into the functions of modern technology. This is direct result of his difficult task of articulating his futurist theories to a relatively ignorant public. A case in point is his 'memex," which he claims to be "an enlarged intimate supplement to (mans) memory" (45). This struck me as I have never thought of the internet, my hard drive, or RAM as an extension of my memory. To me, these things very much exist separately from me. But Bush is stuck in a situation where mechanical memory is unheard of, and the only way he can articulate such an invention is by relating it to our own forms of memory. Though I initially disagreed with his statement, I soon saw the truth to what he was saying. My mobile device, which is always on my person, contains contact information, notes, and my calendar. Often times I will email myself something as opposed to just memorizing it. The longer and longer I live this way, the more I realize that what I claim to "know" is not always knowledge stored in my own mind, but rather in an easily accessible electronic format that only I can access. Today I might "know" Josh's phone number, but if I were to loose my phone, this would no longer be the case. What is 'knowledge' in this era of new media?