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,

I think that Usenet reflects parts of Licklider and Taylor's vision.                                             
They imagined computers as tools for people to share ideas and work together, which is similar to how
Usenet allowed people to post and discuss information in online groups.
It created the kind of "online interactive communities" they predicted and thought computers could make possible.

On the other hand, some things turned out differently. Licklider and Taylor pictured computer networks supporting fast,
real-time communication with multimedia, but Usenet was mostly text-based and not as fast.     
While Usenet helped people connect and share ideas, things like social media and instant messaging
better matched their idea of rich, fast, and interactive communication. Usenet was a good start, but it didn’t fully capture their vision.