Coming from Uranus to check my style
September 12, 2008 10:25 AM   Subscribe

Another dimension, new galaxy - J.C.R. Licklider was one of the most influential people in the history of computer science . Dr. Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider (or “Lick”), was the Director of ARPA’s Information Processing Techniques Office and from 1963-64 put in place the funding priorities which would lead to the Internet, and the invention of the mouse, windows and hypertext. In 1960 he was writing about Man-computer symbiosis and The Computer as a Communications Device . He also wrote epic memos such as his 1963 memo to “Members and Affiliates of the Intergalactic Computer Network
posted by Smedleyman (12 comments total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through
a machine than face to face.


That one sentence is a better prediction of the future than, oh, about 90% of the science fiction that I've read. I guess he didn't foresee gender-neutral language, though.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:35 AM on September 12, 2008


Great post. Licklider was a pretty amazing and sadly, mostly forgotten guy. There's a really good book about him and the history of personal computing called "The Dream Machine". It's worth mentioning that among many of his accomplishments, one of the last he was involved in was being a co-founder of Infocom.
posted by octothorpe at 10:51 AM on September 12, 2008


Seconding The Dream Machine. I was really amazed when I first read this book, at how complete Licklider's vision of interactive and networked computing was. You have to keep in mind that he was talking about graphics, e-commerce, and networking long before even Unix was invented.
posted by jasonhong at 10:58 AM on September 12, 2008


I guess he didn't foresee gender-neutral language, though.

Or maybe women still communicate more effectively face to face.
posted by BaxterG4 at 10:58 AM on September 12, 2008 [1 favorite]


Brilliant post smedleyman. I want to look into these links more fully when I get a chance.

Also, I'd appreciate it if from now on you'd all refer to me as:

bardic
Director Behavioral Sciences Command & Control Research

tia
posted by bardic at 11:03 AM on September 12, 2008


Great post. It's amazing (and sad) to see how easily people like this are forgotten. Unfortunately, those who make solid predictions and work hard to make them a reality sometimes seem less "interesting" than those who are mostly fanciful talk...

I added that Dream Machine book to my wish list, hopefully I'll get to check it out soon.
posted by vorfeed at 11:21 AM on September 12, 2008


life will be happier for the on-line individual because the people
with whom one interacts most strongly will be selected more by commonality
of interests and goals than by accidents of proximity.


That there's my favorite Licklider quote. Everybody should read The Computer as a Communications Device. Instead of seeing computers as number crunching or information storage devices, he saw their potential in bringing people together into online communities. Amazing, amazing thinker.
posted by needled at 12:04 PM on September 12, 2008


Great. Beastie Boys in my head now.

Thanks!
posted by utsutsu at 12:12 PM on September 12, 2008


That memo is amazing, thanks for this post.
posted by voltairemodern at 12:37 PM on September 12, 2008


Fascinating guy—thanks for the post.
posted by languagehat at 1:55 PM on September 12, 2008


He's not totally forgotten. When the weighty histories of the early days of computer mediated communication are written, Lick will have an exalted place. Vannevar Bush was also an ahead-of-his-time guy that doesn't get much love.

needled: That quote was one of my favorites, too, and was a major plank in my thesis argument in the grad school days.

Great post!
posted by absalom at 2:39 PM on September 12, 2008


Forgot -this is what brought Licklider to mind a bit ago (just sort of surfed from there - not that interesting a link really)
posted by Smedleyman at 2:53 PM on September 12, 2008


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