Media, Information and Technoculture 2000F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Altair 8800, Vannevar Bush, Ray Tomlinson
8 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Informational tool, being able to access information and create a knowledge base out of it. Became the world(cid:495)s first great encyclopedia, published in multiple language, millions of copies, 6-24 volumes depending on the set. Scientific reasoning becomes important, less about god. Knowledge and power knowledge: political and informational, promoting the broader public good, empowering regular citizens, understanding their world themselves (all political) It is shaping the balance of power, moving it from elites to the masses. Wells: his idea of the world brain, sci-fi author specialize. The information explosion by the early 1900s. Depot where knowledge and ideas are received, sorted, summarized, digested, clarified. New encyclopedia not just concentrated in one space (on a shelf) but available to people in many locations. Constitute the material beginning of a real world brain. Tap into the brain no matter where you were: networked. International scholarly co-operative with a distributed infrastructure and networked management. Like wikipedia but with a more sound editorial base.
