Review of "An input system designed to aid users of interactive graphics, by Bernard C. Levrat, Jurge Harms, Christian Pellegrini, Maurice Wenger, and Robert M. Aiken"

Abstract

15 Prof. Turoff and his associate Prof. Hiltz have wrapped it all up in a comprehensive book that records the early development of computerized conferencing systems, describes their current and potential use, predicts their societal impact, examines the policy issues, and advances the notion that we are moving towards the "network nation." Placed in a broader context, computerized conferencing is one manifestation of the transition from the industrial machine age to the computer age. The technical matters in the book deal primarily with operational and environmental scenarios. The details of programming and machine technology are given minimum expression; it is taken for granted that the technology is available, will constantly improve, and that it will be used as needed. The authors examine the use of computerized conferencing for business, organizational communications, science and technology, research activities, the general public, and the disadvantaged. The only criticism I have with the presentation is that the basic arguments for computerized conferencing tend to be repeated (in different form) for each of the groups studied. This may be appropriate if only single chapters are read, but the reader going through the whole book may find the repetition a bit tedious. Also presented are perspectives on the cultural, sociological and psychological factors involved in exchanging messages in the terminal/computer environment. Although many of the presentations are qualitative, an effort to show quantitative studies concerning the behavior of people in a computerized environment (and how they might react to other conferees that they may have never seen) has been made. The net conclusion of the authors concerning the future of computerized conferencing is virtually all positive; some negative factors are considered, but they are overshadowed by the convenience, efficiency, low cost and pleasure expected with the use of conferencing systems. The authors have chosen an entertaining method to let them speculate about life in the network nation: interspersed throughout the book are editions of the "Boswash Times"-a hypothetical newspaper that reports stories about life and times in the computerized world of the future. The July 14, 1995 issue, for example, covers a story in which a computerized conferencing (CC) system is named as a co-respondent in a divorce suit because the wife "indulges in hours of wanton interaction" with the machine, neglecting her husband and children. The overall message is that CC will be as common as sliced bread and jogging. For the most part I …