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 reflects many aspects of Licklider and Taylor’s vision.It embodies open information sharing, decentralized communication, and the creation of communities around shared interests, aligning with their idea of interactive collaboration across geographical boundaries. However, some aspects evolved differently. Usenet's unstructured nature contrasts with their vision of a more organized and user-friendly system for collaboration. It lacks moderation and curation, often resulting in information overload, unlike their ideal of seamless knowledge sharing. Additionally, Usenet doesn’t fully realize the real-time, interactive problem-solving that Licklider and Taylor anticipated, offering only asynchronous discussions. Overall, while Usenet embraces decentralization and open exchange, it falls short of the structured, interactive environments they envisioned.