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.

Usenet fits into the vision by J.C.R. Licklider and Robert W. Taylor in "The Computer
as a Communication Device" by making it easier for people to share information and
discuss topics online, which they hoped computers would do. They believed that
computers could make communication between people more interactive and productive,
and Usenet does this by letting users participate in discussions on a variety of topics.
However, their vision also included computers making communication richer and more like
talking face-to-face, using multimedia like videos and graphics, which Usenet, being
mostly text-based, doesn't fully achieve. Also, while they thought computers might
replace some traditional ways we communicate, like meetings or phone calls, Usenet
has added to these methods rather than replacing them. It offers a way for people
to discuss and exchange ideas without needing to be in the same place or talk in
real time.