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.

Licklider and Taylor's vision included the concept of virtual communities formed around shared interests. Usenet's hierarchical newsgroup structure allows users to join discussions focused on
specific topics like science, technology, and recreation, thereby fostering a sense of belonging and collaborative interaction. Although they anticipated collaborative and productive
communication, they might not have fully anticipated the challenges of managing content quality and moderation. Unmoderated Usenet groups often became chaotic, inundated with spam and off-topic
posts. This issue has driven the development of more advanced moderation techniques in modern platforms. Usenet was a significant step toward realizing Licklider and Taylor's vision of a global
communication network that supports information sharing and community building.