Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!lll-lcc!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor From: malcolm@keilir.UUCP (Malcolm Cohen) Newsgroups: comp.society Subject: Re: Why can't WE change society? Message-ID: <1171@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM> Date: Sun, 6-Dec-87 01:07:49 EST Article-I.D.: hplabsz.1171 Posted: Sun Dec 6 01:07:49 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 11-Dec-87 04:58:13 EST Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM Organization: University of Iceland (RHI) Lines: 35 Approved: taylor@hplabs Gerry Gleason writes: >... netnews is ... such a diverse community. No way. Netnews is nowhere near as diverse as the "real world"; you know, where the "real problems" are. The people communicating on Usenet seem *very* similar-minded to me. > [someone else] >> Part of the problem is that not every one in the world is connected, nor >> knows how to us computers. or *wants* to use computers...I am not talking about phobia here. > ...the development of hypertext is so important. No. The development of hypertext is only of real interest to the educated elite. And only the technologically-minded ones at that. Not everyone gets their kicks from interacting with a terminal. Television is so popular *because* it requires no interaction (i.e. thought). But television is not watched by many people (3rd world etc). > ... We must focus more on human beings that the actual technology. I couldn't agree more. > ... Bad interfaces are inefficient because they sacrifice the efficiency > of the user. A typical computernik thing to say. Bad interfaces are nasty simply because they are so unpleasant. The efficiency/inefficiency issue is not an issue for non-computer people - if the computer is being nasty to them they'll not like it (and if not required to use it they'll go and do something else). Malcolm Cohen