Everything about the way we use computers is about to change

June 16, 2000 11:59 AM

Everything about the way we use computers is about to change or, then again, perhaps not.
posted by grumblebee (2 comments total)

I read that manifesto... you know, it sounds great and all: LifeStreams, CyberBodies and all that, BUT:
* How can I create a document? I'd better be able to type it --I am a better writer than I am a speaker, so don't start me on voice recognition. Thus, I need a keybord. Next thing, I need to process that text: we already have a way to do that, and it's called a mouse --next thing you know windows and icons and the rest of WIMP are on their way.
* I like the idea of a 'document soup': I hate going through hard drives in a treasure hunt of some information I should have at my fingertips --Google is better at getting things off the Web than I can be about getting them off my HD. But that doesn't mean we need a wholesale switch to some Lifestreamish concept. Databases, search engines et al. are already evolved enough to deal with massive amounts of information (like Google does). A Lifestream as the manifesto describes it is nothing more than a DB query; why re-invent the damn wheel?


posted by costas at 4:56 PM on June 16, 2000

Someone mentioned to me that once you click on my original link, it's hard to find the "manifesto." Here's a direct link to it.

Costas, Lee Smolin makes your point on the comments page. My personal feeling is that both Gelernter and Smolin are extremists. The first feels that we need to trash everything we have now. The second feels that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." But why can't we have multiple models?


posted by grumblebee at 5:07 PM on June 16, 2000