Ted Nelson "Computer Lib/Dream Machines"

Computer Lib/Dream Machines summary1

Ted Nelson had changed the modern history of understanding media and the computer through inventing new multifunctional and personal computer thinking that is depicted in his book “Computer Lib/Dream Machines.” As a philosopher and a computer scientist, Nelson believed that personal computing can be a linkage between all sorts of media as long as the human memory is involved such as art, science, music, literature, and society. He believed that the human brain can operate without following a certain routine or specific typical way of thinking. From there, Nelson started giving other meanings to what he called Hypertext or Hypermedia. His theory implies that humans have the choice to understand and react to non sequential spontaneous scripts in different ways.

Also, he explains that there is no pure truth, but all the information and knowledge are based on facts, assertions, and ideas that we take for granted as the truth and document it in the form of text. Therefore, a lot of these facts and knowledge should be stored and saved digitally because of the many advantages. One example of the digital storing techniques is the digital branching or “Hyper” systems such as hypertext. Nelson defines hypertext as non-sequential writing and states the different kinds of hypertext such as the collateral, fresh, continuous, grand, and chunk. Nelson mentions that people are tired from reading and writing in stereotypical sequential way that is why the computer offers the possibility of using hypertext that adds more joy to the text itself. The article contains the influence of Vannevar Bush’s ideas and Engelbart’s system on the history of hypertext and personal computer intelligence including The Mouse. Nelson states the main hierarchical formats for Engelbart’s design in terms of storage, display, and language and he explains fundamental examples for hypertext systems such as the “RETURN button” technique.