Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hplabsz!news
From: news@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM (News Subsystem )
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Computer use and the intro of telephones
Message-ID: <1302@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 5 Jan 88 09:30:43 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 25
Approved: taylor@hplabs

While reading AT&T documention, the following points of interest came 
to my attention:

(taken from text about Alexander G. Bell)

"Needless to say, after the invention of the telephone, Alexander
Bell and associates were highly optimistic about their business venture.
But they soon discovered that the public did not share their enthusiasm
for their new invention. Reactions varied: scientist were convinced
that the telephone was a physical impossibility; cynics believed
that Bell was a ventriloquist, the telephone was a publicity
stunt; some people even thought that the telephone was black magic,
and a local newspaper is quoted, "It is hard to resist the notion
that the powers of darkness and evil are in league with it".

Bell (and associates) realized that the people would never understand
the telephone. He took his invention on the road for several years. He
provided a series of public demonstration in verious cities. Despite
all of Bell's work at showing the invention to the public, people
remained unconvinced. For one thing, people felt uncomfortable
talking into the mouthpiece. In addition, the idea of doing business
(the first users of telephones) verbally was very new, and not
many trusted it (no one to shake hands with). The public consensus
was that Bell's invention was just a novelty.

Ted G. Kekatos