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From: taylor@hplabsz.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Why can't WE change society?
Message-ID: <1115@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: Fri, 27-Nov-87 21:32:16 EST
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Posted: Fri Nov 27 21:32:16 1987
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> We all talk about the impact of computers and networks on society and 
> the ills (or benefits) they may bring.  How come nobody ever attempts 
> to do something constructive?

I think this topic is extremely relavent, and important to our future.
I have been spending a considerable amount of time reading and posting
to the network, and I am considering stopping because we appear to be
doing nothing more than shooting-the-breeze.  The reason for this is
probably unavoidable, netnews is a broadcast medium, and therefore not
suited to advancing *action*.  Another answer is that your assumption
that nothing is happening is unjustified, but it is not happening in
netnews, but in e-mail, etc.  To broaden the topic to computer networks
in general, there must be many BBS's dedicated to doing constructive
things in particular domains.

> Everyone TALKS about the impact on society, why doesn't anyone try 
> to MAKE an impact on society? 

What projects, etc. do you suggest?  Netnews seems appropriate for
initiating a project, and publisizing it to the USENET community.  Then
mail would be used to coordinate work on the project, and keep the
participants informed.  One project that we could take on in this way
is an investigation of the general question of how we can use networks
to accomplish these ends.  It could start by looking at what is already
happening, and continue by splitting off subgroups to work on specific
issues that are identified.

Also, the topics of nanotechnology and hypertext have been hitting
several newsgroups lately.  I think that hypertext could be the basis
for both a constructive project, and a better way to utilize the
network to document and communicate the work being done.  Nano-
technology, when/if it becomes practical, is an important reason
we must consider the impact of technologies.  They clearly ARE having
an impact on society.  We, the technologists, can no longer consider
our work independantly of its effects.  It is often claimed that
technology itself is neutral, neither good or evil, but this does
not mean we can abandon the responsibility of making informed choices
on *what* to work on.  We must choose between creating ever-more-complex
weapons systems, and systems to eliminate poverty through education
(in my opinion this is the only way to solve this and related problems
such as over-population and hunger), care for our environment, or
reach for the stars.

I am interested in participating in taking some of these issues out
of talk-only and into action.  How should we start?  Who else is willing
to get involved in this?

Gerry Gleason