timeline etc.

--1941 Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) Argentinian librarian/poet. He wrote the "Garden of Forking Paths " and invented the idea of the hypertext novel.
--1946 Vannevar Bush (1890-1974) American engineer who played a political role in developing the atomic bomb. He described the idea of the memex--an information storage/compression device, basically the precursor to the internet--in his essay "As We May Think."
--1950 Alan Turing (1912-1954) English mathematician and cryptographer. He discussed artificial intelligence in his essay "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" wherein he introduced the "Turing Test" designed to differentiate between "sentients" and computers.
--1954 Norbert Weiner (1894-1964) American mathematician who founded the study of cybernetics during WWII research under Vannevar Bush. He discussed his early theories and ethical dilemmas of science and technology in the nuclear age in "Men, Machines, and the World About."
--1960 Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider (1915-1990) American scientist/mathematician who led ARPA from 1962-1964. In his essay "Man-Computer Symbiosis" Lick introduced the idea that computers could be more than calculating devices, they could be communication devices. He was the first to recognize the importance of computer networking.
--1961 Allan Kaprow (1927-2006) American artist. Through his "Happenings in the New York Scene" he developed the earliest performance art and interactive art--new media.
--1961 William Burroughs (1914-1997) American beat writer. In his essay "The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin" he referenced computer pioneer John von Neumann, and basically discussed hands-on physical hypertext and its uses. He was famous for his non-linear style of writing, i.e. hypertext novels.
--1962 Douglas Englebart (1925-) American inventor and internet pionneer. He invented the mouse, and with the help of a team developed the window, the word processor, hypertext and computer networking. His "Augmenting the Human Intellect" discusses how artifacts, language, methodology, and training can make humans more effective.

first of all, I really enjoyed meeting Ken Perlin. He strikes me as a lovable genius whose mind works in ways very different from our own. I wish I had some talent which came as easily to me as computer graphics and programming seems to come to him.

While reading Bush's descriptions of the memex, I kept picturing the filing system and the graphics from the Yiddish Theatre documentary. It struck me that, though he pictured it differently in his quasi-futuristic-1940s-atomic-age mind's eye, this was exactly what he was talking about. We have arrived.

Turing's writing sort of scared me, because back then he was already envisioning a time where it would be necessary to administer a test to tell man from machine. This raises other questions for me, as did "Blade Runner," why is it bad if machines become sentient, or start thinking for themselves? Why can't they just be like Data on Star Trek? Why can't we all just get along?

Norbert Weiner's scientific ethics about withholding scientific information from those who plan to use it for evil were truly inspired. Though Bush never said so explicitly, it seems to me he would have felt the exact opposite. There appear to be two camps of scientists: those who feel that any advancement or new technology is good, and those who feel that technology is only as good as its use. Were I scientific in any capacity I would be of the latter group, thus I have a lot of respect for Weiner.

I don't have much to say about Licklider. Networking is important and it must have been hard to figure that out back in the day but his paper was boring.

Why did Allan Kaprow tone it down after the sixties? Wikipedia alluded to his performances toward the end of his career only requiring audiences to clap. You can't invent performance art and be all in the moment then go back to being boring. That's just counter-productive and hypocritical.

Before reading this I had never linked Burroughs with hypertext. Now I totally understand Naked Lunch. Have you ever seen Cronenburg's film version of that book? It's amazing; same thing, you don't have to watch it in order or in one sitting.

Englebart clearly did not get enough credit for all that he did for computing ant the internet, however he was not deterred and that's admirable. One thing I find fault with however, in everything I've read about him, every text mentions how people only know him as "the guy that invented the mouse," but all the other things he did would stick in my head a lot better if everyone didn't keep bringing up the mouse. He should complain.