
Towards the end of the 1980s, it became obvious that the digital age was looming. The more forward looking were quick to grasp the immense opportunities that this would present, and so they began a careful campaign to position themselves, in order to maximise these opportunities to their own advantage.
A far-sighted group at Palo Alto, realising that an era of increased leisure was in the offing, decided that entertainment would be key. This, in turn, led to the concept of ‘playfulness’. Initially, it was thought that tapping or patting would be the way technology could be expected to develop. Further investigation, however, raised doubts as to whether the general populace would be ready to accept such advanced concepts without extensive re-education. This initial setback was not allowed to halt the progress towards the new world order, and in one of those serendipitous, out of the box, breakthroughs that are only later recognised as significant, the concept of ‘playfulness’ suggested a possible alternative. This, first stage plan, led to the development of the computer mouse.
While this has become a staple, it must be remembered that it was only ever envisaged as an educational stop-gap. It is heartening to see progress in the original master plan. The mouse is, at last, giving way to the tapping and patting that was that first, central vision.
Fluffy cats, of course, invented the Internet to show off how cute and playful they were. This guy, spotted, dozing in the sun under the hedge, is obviously on his day off. You can’t be brilliantly visionary 24/7, now can you?
Makes you wonder what technology will be like in the next 25 years, doesn’t it? Will all of our current advances seem downright primitive in comparison? And what a lovely picture, David. I hope to be able to relax like that cat this weekend. 🙂
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All you need is a sunny hedge. – Hope you have a nice quiet weekend.
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So that’s who invented the Internet! No wonder I get sucked in by cute kitty videos all the time. Good observations, by the way.
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Ssh! Don’t tell, the fluffy cats are trying to keep it quiet.
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I love that cat! What did we used to do before the internet?
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Curl up on the mat in front of the fire, probably.
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Mmm, yes, what a good idea. Maybe tonight…
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