The Gelernter stuff is, indeed, historically inaccurate. I don't wish to
defend Gelernter -- he's genious enough to defend himself -- but I imagine
that he's busy enough that he just remembers the top-level stuff, like
Xerox, and not Doug Engelbart. Doug is a quiet fellow, and Xerox is not.
About dates, my suspicion is that Mirror Worlds was actually drafted long
before 1991, but probably not updated before publication. Oddly enough, the
copy of it I have happens to be autographed by David himself; I'm not
defending the book, but I'd have to say that his work is the first (at least
for me) that really talks about the concept of distributed computing and
information spaces in the context of any web environment. In 1989, a friend
at CMU sent me a copy of one of the first papers on Linda. At that time, it
seemed (to me), really interesting. At that time, it was also, again, for
me, a bit too theoretical. Not until the papers on pLinda came along,
complete with source code did I actually get it. At that time, Mirror
Worlds came out, I snapped it up at Borders (complete, oddly enough, with
autograph), and finally came to see the brilliance (IMHO) that Linda
represents.
Rod Welch's post to this group on the same topic is highly linked, and full
of incite on the rest of the Gelernter topic.
Cheers
Jack
From: Frode Hegland <frode@liquidinformation.com>
> Jack, thanks for the URL to David Gelernters Manifesto at
> http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/gelernter/gelernter_p1.html
>
> I found some inconsistencies with the way I though the world was and
> wanted to ask you guys what you think before I email DavidGelernter.
>
> He is addressing some very, very important issues and getting an
> audience, but his version of history makes me seriously consider the many
> worlds theory...
>
>
> ...............
>
>
>
> 1.) He propheseized the Web in 1991. (From the intro:
>
> > In 1991 Gelernter had published a book for technologists (an extended
> research paper) called Mirror Worlds, claiming in effect that one day,
> there would be something like the Web. As well as forecasting the Web...
> http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/gelernter/gelernter_index.html
>
> Am I missing something? Didn't Tim Berners Lee unleash the WWW in 1991?
>
> ...............
>
>
> 2.) Where did the mouse and windows come from:
>
> > 21. The windows-menus-mouse "desktop" interface, invented by Xerox and
> Apple...
>
> http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/gelernter/gelernter_p3.html
>
> Sorry Doug, you don't exist apparently.
>
> ...............
>
> 3.) Also, what was the point of the mouse? It wasn't perfect when born>
> Wow, that's a real criticism. I guess cars are no good because the model
> 'T' Ford didn't go very fast or have air-bags. Confused? Sorry, here is
> the David quote:
>
> > 23. The computer mouse was a brilliant invention, but we can see today
> that it is a bad design. Like any device that must be moved and placed
> precisely, it ought to provide tactile feedback; it doesn't. Also at:
> http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/gelernter/gelernter_p3.html
>
> What can I say?
>
> ...............
>
>
> The rest, the meat, I don't always agree with, but that's an evening
> after dinner chat. I am worried about these point. Anything I should add
> before emailing? Or should I forget it?
>
> best,
>
>
>
>
> Frode Hegland
> Director
>
> The Liquid Information Company
>
> http://www.liquidinformation.com
> UK: (44) 777 953 3856
> US: (1) 877 239 1010
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