Re: CS-234 Discussion

CS234 <cs234@lhmerino.dont-email.me> wrote:

This thread is intended for the students of CS-234: Technologies for democratic society
 
How does Usenet fit into the vision presented by Licklider and Taylor in
"The Computer as a Communication Device"?
 
Reflect on:
- Which aspects of their vision are realized through Usenet?
- What aspects have evolved differently from what they imagined?
 
Feel free to respond to comments made by your classmates as well.

Hello!

In my opinion, Usenet reflects many of the key ideas from Licklider and Taylor's concept in The Computer as a Communication Device.
Their idea was that computers would not just share static data but help people solve problems together by creating "communities of interest."
Usenet does this by providing a decentralized platform where people from all over the world can discuss specific topics through newsgroups,
breaking down geographic barriers and allowing the free exchange of ideas.

However, some parts of their vision took a different direction.
Licklider and Taylor imagined more real-time interaction and integrated tools for collaboration with dynamic interfaces, like shared workspaces and instant feedback.
Usenet focuses on asynchronous communication, missing those real-time collaborative elements.
Modern tools like Slack, Google Docs, and video conferencing have evolved in line with their vision,
offering multimedia interaction and live collaboration, which Usenet, being mostly text-based, doesn't provide.

Best regards