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.

Some aspects of Usenet are similar to Licklider and Taylor's vision.
For example, the communication is distributed. Their vision emphasized dispersed
communities communicating and collaboratiing with computers. Usenet completes this
aspect by allowing users worldwide to interact.
The interactions are opan and collaborative. Usenet allows users to create new
ideas together from dialogue.
Participation is very accessible. As they had envisioned, Usenet is accessible to
anyone with a computer.

Some other aspects are different from Licklider and Taylor's vision.
Usenet lacks interactivity. While users can indeed interact, it is not real-time
communication. So different than real-life communication.
It is also limited to text mostly. Their vision included other multiple forms of
media.
The moderation is not developed as they imagined it. They wanted something
intelligent that could structure and guide interactions.