Text File

Aucbvax.2337 fa.works utzoo!duke!decvax!ucbvax!works Sat Jul 18 01:44:10 1981 Re: Making paper go away >From Joe.Newcomer@CMU-10A Sat Jul 18 01:37:03 1981 Actually, your example is quite amusing. We were recently at a conference at Pajaro Dunes. One of our participants was walking along the beach during one of the interludes, and left his book on the beach while he went into the water. When he came out, he found that someone had stolen his book.

Yes, paper is more effective for some things RIGHT NOW. While I don't believe automating blindly is a good idea, for most values of use of paper I would prefer to use a computer. Even if I produce hardcopy so it can be carried around, read on beaches and busses, etc., I prefer to produce it via the computer. There are lots of cases where paper is more convenient ONLY because of limi- tations of the computer (e.g., 9600 baud slow lines). And when computers will cost only $8.95 (or free with a deposit of $500), there will be far less reason to walk off with one. We have to quit thinking as if computers will always be expensive, and decide what we can do with them when they are not. In fact, assume the cost of the computer is ZERO. Now, what would you LIKE to do with a computer? What capabilities should it possess at the interface? Assume a communication cost of ZERO. How would you like to commu- nicate with other computers? Now, at any given instant we have to temper these ideas by the rather nasty fact that computers and communications really do cost money. But that should NOT limit our imaginations. A Dorado is a good example of what happens if you let ideas not be limited by technology, and technology comes along. Things which were unbelievably bad to run on an Alto run just fine on a Dorado.

Don't tell me automating everything is bad. I don't believe it. Automating everything INCORRECTLY is bad. I'd rather worry about how to do it right, even if right isn't possible, than to not think about the problem because this year's technology can't support it. joe

----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen <jgoerzen@complete.org> of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/

This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided:

1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles.

2. The following notice remains appended to each copy:

The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.