4 ms·

> I find it breathtaking how profound his understanding was of the dramatic changes that were about to happen as the computer became broadly accessible. Of cour

> I find it breathtaking how profound his understanding was of the dramatic changes that were about to happen as the computer became broadly accessible. Of course, beyond just being prophetic... The author of this article should consider not reading any more about the history of computing for health reasons. If that takes their breath away, they're at serious risk of going into cardiac arrest if they keep going and discover some of the many other fascinating figures from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s who were enjoying speculating about the direction things would go in.

cyanbane 2y ago
Do you mean Sir Jony Ive?
- sourcepluck 2y ago
  I fail to see how the British monarchy's approval of Mr. Ive's career path is in any way relevant here, I'm afraid!
imwm 2y ago
"The author of this article" is Jony Ive, who very possibly has dipped into other chapters of computer history
EGreg 2y ago
Can someone PLEASE try to find and link me to the audio interview with an early computer pioneer (maybe Alan Kay but I forgot exactly who) on a radio show, I think it was a British one, where he tries to explain to the interviewer why general-purpose computers are important. Like how we will be able to find whatever file we want quickly, and I think he speaks about music playing as well, and maybe knitting Like the interviewer doesn’t get why we need it and keeps talking about how we can already do the things like find books using the Dewey Decimal system. I remember listening to it and I can never seem to find it again. Anyone on HN know at least what the name of the show and/or interviewed person was? It is like Bill Gates on Letterman but it was a radio show from the 60-80s? and took place for 10-30 minutes or so.
- nsriv 2y ago
  I looked very superficially and found this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275FQ9koAw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275FQ9koAw8
- dgb23 2y ago
  I would like to see this as well.
- beezlewax 2y ago
  https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D9DC82D997454711A71B586E17D23119 https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D9DC82D997454711A71B586...
  - EGreg 2y ago
    Honestly, I remember now getting this interview, but it isn't it. I looked through the whole transcript and the interviewer was not skeptical of computers, there was hardly any mention of the Dewey Decimal system etc. Is there anything else? That one I had only audio, it a radio show I believe. And the guy was talking about music and dewey decimal system etc. Must have been 80s or 70s. It wasn't Alan Kay
    - superphunthyme 2y ago
      This one with Ted Nelson? https://youtu.be/RVU62CQTXFI https://youtu.be/RVU62CQTXFI It's got the skeptical interviewer, and at 9:56 (with some lead-in before) there is a discussion of libraries, catalogs, tagging, etc. Edit: and then he goes on to mention Dewey Decimal as well.
      - EGreg 2y ago
        Yess!! THANK YOU! For all these years, I couldn't find it. I appreciate this so much, thank you :)
        superphunthyme 2y ago
dang 2y ago
Can you please not post snarky dismissive comments to HN? We're really trying for the opposite here, to the extent that is possible on the internet. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- sourcepluck 2y ago
  Dang, could you delete my account? I've tried to look up how to do it and it seems to be possible only upon request from a moderator. I asked pvg below but got no answer. I appreciate your polite intervention and that moderation is a hard job, but I've no interest in engaging further in the manner which I now understand from my exchange with pvg below that I'm supposed to have inferred from the guidelines. I feel like my style of interacting is relatively consistent throughout my time on the site, but suddenly I get flagged twice when I'm making an unpopular point strongly. I refuse to go about softening my points because they're liable to be flagged, and would prefer to spare you the bother of having to step in. I'm just not interested in exchanging lowest-common-denominator type takes and worrying about flagging and popularity. Anyway, no hard feelings, maybe a bit of cultural confusion, but I'll deal with that on my own side. If you could let me know if there's anything I can do to get the account deleted, that'd be great.
  - defrost 2y ago
    There's a low chance of dang seeing this .. not zero but not great. You get better response emailing him direct hn@ycombinator.com
    - sourcepluck 2y ago
      Thanks, will do
- sourcepluck 2y ago
  I wasn't attempting to be snarky or dismissive. I was framing my point in a playful, jokey way, sure, but it's not a snarky or dismissive point in itself. I would like to think at least some people got that. All I'm saying is that the 1980s (and the preceding decades) were full of people predicting and describing all sorts of things that then happened (as well as others getting it totally wrong). To find Jobs in 1983 "breathtaking" and "prophetic" is, to me, a bit of a hyperbolic take, considering the reality of that moment in history. Lots of interesting people were imagining the future, and making it happen.

cyanbane 2y ago

Do you mean Sir Jony Ive?

sourcepluck 2y ago
I fail to see how the British monarchy's approval of Mr. Ive's career path is in any way relevant here, I'm afraid!

imwm 2y ago

"The author of this article" is Jony Ive, who very possibly has dipped into other chapters of computer history

EGreg 2y ago

Can someone PLEASE try to find and link me to the audio interview with an early computer pioneer (maybe Alan Kay but I forgot exactly who) on a radio show, I think it was a British one, where he tries to explain to the interviewer why general-purpose computers are important. Like how we will be able to find whatever file we want quickly, and I think he speaks about music playing as well, and maybe knitting Like the interviewer doesn’t get why we need it and keeps talking about how we can already do the things like find books using the Dewey Decimal system. I remember listening to it and I can never seem to find it again. Anyone on HN know at least what the name of the show and/or interviewed person was? It is like Bill Gates on Letterman but it was a radio show from the 60-80s? and took place for 10-30 minutes or so.

nsriv 2y ago
I looked very superficially and found this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275FQ9koAw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275FQ9koAw8
dgb23 2y ago
I would like to see this as well.
beezlewax 2y ago
https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D9DC82D997454711A71B586E17D23119 https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D9DC82D997454711A71B586...
- EGreg 2y ago
  Honestly, I remember now getting this interview, but it isn't it. I looked through the whole transcript and the interviewer was not skeptical of computers, there was hardly any mention of the Dewey Decimal system etc. Is there anything else? That one I had only audio, it a radio show I believe. And the guy was talking about music and dewey decimal system etc. Must have been 80s or 70s. It wasn't Alan Kay
  - superphunthyme 2y ago
    This one with Ted Nelson? https://youtu.be/RVU62CQTXFI https://youtu.be/RVU62CQTXFI It's got the skeptical interviewer, and at 9:56 (with some lead-in before) there is a discussion of libraries, catalogs, tagging, etc. Edit: and then he goes on to mention Dewey Decimal as well.
    - EGreg 2y ago
      Yess!! THANK YOU! For all these years, I couldn't find it. I appreciate this so much, thank you :)
      - superphunthyme 2y ago

dang 2y ago

Can you please not post snarky dismissive comments to HN? We're really trying for the opposite here, to the extent that is possible on the internet. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

sourcepluck 2y ago
Dang, could you delete my account? I've tried to look up how to do it and it seems to be possible only upon request from a moderator. I asked pvg below but got no answer. I appreciate your polite intervention and that moderation is a hard job, but I've no interest in engaging further in the manner which I now understand from my exchange with pvg below that I'm supposed to have inferred from the guidelines. I feel like my style of interacting is relatively consistent throughout my time on the site, but suddenly I get flagged twice when I'm making an unpopular point strongly. I refuse to go about softening my points because they're liable to be flagged, and would prefer to spare you the bother of having to step in. I'm just not interested in exchanging lowest-common-denominator type takes and worrying about flagging and popularity. Anyway, no hard feelings, maybe a bit of cultural confusion, but I'll deal with that on my own side. If you could let me know if there's anything I can do to get the account deleted, that'd be great.
- defrost 2y ago
  There's a low chance of dang seeing this .. not zero but not great. You get better response emailing him direct hn@ycombinator.com
  - sourcepluck 2y ago
    Thanks, will do
sourcepluck 2y ago
I wasn't attempting to be snarky or dismissive. I was framing my point in a playful, jokey way, sure, but it's not a snarky or dismissive point in itself. I would like to think at least some people got that. All I'm saying is that the 1980s (and the preceding decades) were full of people predicting and describing all sorts of things that then happened (as well as others getting it totally wrong). To find Jobs in 1983 "breathtaking" and "prophetic" is, to me, a bit of a hyperbolic take, considering the reality of that moment in history. Lots of interesting people were imagining the future, and making it happen.