Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pdn!reggie
From: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Revolutions and Fidonet
Message-ID: <4948@pdn.UUCP>
Date: 16 Nov 88 13:19:42 GMT
References: <621.23788C5A@isishq.FIDONET.ORG> <8811102118.AA12763@pinocchio.UUCP>
Reply-To: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach)
Organization: Paradyne Corporation,   Largo FL
Lines: 55

In article <8811102118.AA12763@pinocchio.UUCP> bzs@PINOCCHIO.BERKELEY.EDU (Barry Shein) writes:

>Some say that the critical thing in making the auto revolutionary was
>committing to building roads for the autos to drive on. W/o smooth
>roads horse-drawn buggies seem a win over cars.

     Someone in another posting pointed out the chicken and the egg
situation with roads and the number of cars, so I guess we could
debate about this for a while.


      My thoughts are that there was a recognition on the part of the
general public of the utility of the automobile.  The assembly line
made the auto affordable.  The building of roads made the auto even
more practicle.  However, it was the recognition by the average Joe
that the auto would make life easier that was the key to the wide
acceptance of it.


>Now many are saying networks are to computers what roads are to cars
>(including the need to invest in infrastructure at a societal scale.)

      
       I sort of look at current networks as akin to the early development
of the railroad.  Each line potentially has a different guage of track
making it impossible for all trains to travel on it.  OSI can be viewed
as an attempt to standardize the guage of track (in a simplistic view).



       I still feel that the average person has *NO* need for a personal
computer.  I don't have one at home, nor do I need one.  However, should
the networks and information sources become available at a reasonable
cost, then *I* would be more inclined to get one.  But I am not the
average person (who is!).  How much does the average person utilize the
local public library?  I would imagine not much.  And I don't think it
is because of a lack of material being available.  I think it is more
a lack of concern.  Most people are more interested in entertainment,
ala the TV.  This is where we will see an explosion in the usage of
computers, networks and information providers.  The potential for
furthering our ability to gather informatiion will be there, but I
am afraid this will not be the common usage of the beast.  Didn't
they have grand views of how TV would help shape society back in the
late 40's and early 50's?  Well it certainly has, but not as they
intended :-(





-- 
George W. Leach					Paradyne Corporation
..!uunet!pdn!reggie				Mail stop LF-207
Phone: (813) 530-2376				P.O. Box 2826
						Largo, FL  USA  34649-2826