I found the readings about the “memex” very interesting. To think that someone 50 years ago could that accurately describe the technologies of today is really cool to me. For example, the original article talks about a camera the size of a walnut that someone wears around on their head. Today, we think of a GoPro when we hear this description. Back then, when photography was not nearly as big of a deal as it is today, how could Bush have predicted the GoPro? It seems crazy to think about, but today we do the same thing as Bush did. We envision a car that drives itself, glasses that tell us everything we need to know, etc, and one day they will all exist as well.
When I searched the internet for “memex”, I found a video showing “Bush’s diagrams made real”. These images in the video are what is thought Bush pictured when he was talking about the memex. I think the video was pretty boring the way the speaker is talking, but the images are interesting to look at. The video shows how a screen on one side could have one article up, while a different screen could have a different article, and then the user can also add their own input onto the articles. This is relevant today with things like blogs, wikipedia, and other websites where we can add our own opinions onto things that are already posted onto the internet. The video also shows the process of sending documents from one memex to a friend’s memex. I think this is the most important part of Bush’s ideas. The idea that information was going to be readily and easily shared between people was revolutionary. Bush’s ideas were indeed revolutionary at the time, but today we do these things on probably a minute to minute basis. We are so lucky that we have access to all this advanced technology, and it is crazy to think about what the future can hold. Technology is always advancing, so what will be the next memex? Will our idea of the internet become the past one day?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3R8sXTOvrY
1 comment:
Hey Sophie! I really enjoyed reading about your reaction to the Memex articles. I also found it really cool that Bush was able to predict such a technology when there was nothing like it at the time. I liked your modern-day reference to a GoPro when describing Bush's idea of a camera.
The introduction of the Memex reminded me of "Web 2.0" in that we would one day have interactive platforms online like blogs and Wikipedia. I also agree with you that we sometimes take our technology for granted. At the time, Bush's ideas were revolutionary and unheard of, yet it is so insignificant to us today because we have advanced so far. I also wonder what will be next. It's crazy to think that the internet could someday be a thing of the past.
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