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From: stimac@tymix.UUCP (Michael Stimac)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: The FUTURE of USENET     &     A slogan for USENET
Message-ID: <130@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Oct-83 20:01:25 EST
Article-I.D.: tymix.130
Posted: Mon Oct 31 20:01:25 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Nov-83 01:06:52 EST
References: <2257@yale-com.UUCP>
Organization: Tymshare Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 36

This article gave me a little shake, and I thought about it for a
minute. Yes, Robert, you did ring a bell. My reaction to the novelty
and 'goodness' of USENET is not quite the same as yours, but I have
been thinking about the potential significance of USENET. 

I feel that USENET (or any network of similar functionality and
breadth) is as important a factor in man's intellectual progress
as the invention of the printing press. The press amplified by
orders of magnitude the NUMBER of peers intelligent people could
communicate with, and USENET amplifies by orders of magnitude the
SPEED with which communication can occur. 

A problem that has long been recognized is that of specialization
and over-specialization; experts in one field are unaware of knowledge
in other fields which is relevant. Synthetic (no, I don't mean
artificial) thought is discouraged by the sheer mass of details
and lack of access to summary knowledge in other fields. With USENET,
we now have a community of intelligent, expert learners and teachers
of a wide variety of human intellectual endeavor. USENET is fertile
ground for the growth of synthetic thought; and should help to
foster the re-emergence of the legendary "renaissance" man and woman.

Is USENET a super-brain? Here we have a collection of some of the
best organic minds in the history of the human race; interconnected
by the electronic 'neurons' of USENET. I certainly find my daily
dip in READNEWS to be exhilarating. I'd prefer to subscribe to
every newsgroup, but sheer weight makes that impossible. I read
as many as I can make time for; and I hope that most of the rest of
us subscribe to more than just our major professional interest.

Thoughts?

Michael Stimac