A book ate my colloquy

All of this talk about the internet, and the debate about what is better-- a book in the hand or a book on the net-- has been bringing to mind a book I read recently called Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf. Wolf talks a lot about Socrates and the early advent of written language. Socrates (or, if one is to credit my philosophy friend, possibly Plato speaking through the mouthpiece of Socrates) believed that written language would be the downfall of our civilization because, as opposed to discussion and oral language, a book can answer no questions. There is nothing beyond a book, no discovery, no conversation, no transmission of ideas back and forth. A book is one dimensional: It gives us only what is on its pages and asks nothing from us. It does not ask us to respond or care if we do. It does not ask us to retain anything. Wolf posits the question, without any hope of an answer, what Socrates might think of our technology today. Would he weep that we have distanced ourselves even farther from a tradition of language that requires vastly more of the human memory? Or, would he rejoice for a medium that encourages and acts as a vehicle for discussion, explication, exploration and discovery? Or, was he wrong? Is the opportunity to disseminate our ideas, worldwide if we want, worth the sacrifice of our abilities of retention, attention and IRL exchange?
I think that the internet has often unexplored and untapped depths for the reader, and I completely support its use as a forum for the reader, the writer, the publisher, the promoter, etc. but I agree with Rushkoff when he states that "As in any industry, computers only help when they are used by people."
Anyway, that which has been learned cannot be unlearned. Because of this transition from an oral tradition to a primarily written one our brains have physically changed. That which fired once in our brain fires no more; it remains blank and inoperable. Or, perhaps, it is put in to the service of some other related but removed function. Whatever the case may be, though our brains have not become any bigger or brighter, they have changed, and all of society is forever changed because of it.