Friday, September 17, 2010
Applause
After reading Engelbart's Augmenting Human Intellect, I realize how many of us, now in the 21st century and having grown up immersed in technology, take these tools for granted. Admittedly, I got a little lost in the jargon, but I feel that added to my awe for his accomplishments. I find it sad that we pay so little homage to the inventors, like Engelbart, who laid the groundwork for the great technological feats we have achieved so far. Where would our society be without such great minds with even the most basic intent? It was interesting, as well as disorienting, to hear about these objects that we encounter on a daily basis in a theoretical sense or as very basic working plans. That goes back to us taking such advances for granted. How many of us could honestly say that without technology we would maintain our efficiency? Many people are discouraged by man's heavy reliance on technology. In reality, is there really anything to bemoan? Instead of lamenting our dependency on computers, instead perhaps we should applaud Engelbart's success.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hillary, you mentioned something similar to what I had in my post. I agree with you on the fact that it is slightly disappointing and sad that we give little or no interest to the inventors who spend most of their life time inventing miracles for us. I had not known about Engelbert at all, until I watched the video in class. Even today, I realize how we have taken technological advancement for granted. Youngsters like us are so hungry for new technology. We keep demanding more and more every day, without even knowing how difficult and time consuming it probably is for these people to invent such fascinating devices. Thus, I stand by your side and applaud to Engelbart's success in the past! Without him, the world would not have been as efficient and advanced as it is today.
ReplyDeleteImagine reading this text or attending the demo at the time. Now we have the benefit of having seen the vision played out. Now there are more and better words to explain and a lifetime of experiences and associations to help us understand.
ReplyDelete