The Philosopher of Palo Alto: Mark Weiser, Xerox PARC, and the Original Internet of Things by John Tinnell (review)

IF 0.8 3区 哲学 Q2 HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Andreas Hepp
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Two definitive contributions are Fred Turner’s <em>From Counterculture to Cyber-culture</em> (2006), which centers on the Whole Earth Network, and Patrick McCray’s <em>The Visioneers</em> (2013), which explores space colonies and nanotechnologies in close relation to the developmental contexts of the digital era. Both studies incorporate personal approaches along with a broader social and cultural contextualization. <em>The Philosopher of Palo Alto</em> by John Tinnell follows a similar approach, concentrating on Mark Weiser (1952–99), a computer scientist and chief technology officer at Xerox PARC. However, the publication is not merely a biography; as the subtitle suggests, it aims to capture the emergence of what we now refer to as the “internet of things,” with reference to Weiser. The investigation is based on Weiser’s files in the Silicon Valley Archives at Stanford University, his publications, his interviews with former colleagues, and their publications.</p> <p>The structure of <em>The Philosopher of Palo Alto</em> travels along ten chapters in chronological order. Following an introduction, the book begins with a contextualizing chapter on Xerox PARC. This section includes more biographical details, describing Weiser and his arrival in Palo Alto. The narrative then shifts to a more contemplative perspective, delving into Weiser’s interest in a philosophical approach to “things,” specifically through the influence of Michael Polanyi and Martin Heidegger. The extent to which Weiser’s technological thinking is influenced by phenomenology and the philosophy of life is a recurring theme throughout the book. It becomes clear that Weiser had significantly different ideas about the internet of things than the MIT <strong>[End Page 1046]</strong> Media Lab headed by Nicholas Negroponte, to which he positioned himself in opposition. However, it also becomes apparent to what extent Weiser’s approach to ubiquitous computing (“ubicomp”) was shaped through his debates and confrontations with colleagues, particularly with Lucy Such-man, who also worked at Xerox PARC. For Weiser, ubicomp did not mean transforming the human environment into a smart assistant—Negroponte’s “talking butler”—but rather, an “entanglement” of computer technology with the “natural” tangible environment of humans in which computer technology fades into the background. Tinnell’s study illustrates the horizon of this mode of thought, but also the process of failure in which—supported by well-known media companies—Negroponte’s concept prevailed over Weiser’s. The fact that Weiser’s approach did not gain the visibility that the MIT Media Lab acquired was perhaps also due to his early death, which prevented him from synthesizing his thoughts in the book he had planned.</p> <p>John Tinnell’s book is an excellent study, rich in material and very well narrated. It can certainly be read as an account of Weiser’s substantive work, and the publisher’s marketing presumably suggests such a reading. In my view, however, Tinnell’s study is more relevant in a different dimension, namely, the moments in which a more analytical thinking rises to the surface. In such sections, the book offers an analysis of how the ideas of ubicomp emerged through Weiser’s close interaction with others. For example, we learn a lot about the role that the ethnographic approach embodied by Lucy Suchman played in Xerox PARC. 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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Reviewed by:

  • The Philosopher of Palo Alto: Mark Weiser, Xerox PARC, and the Original Internet of Things by John Tinnell
  • Andreas Hepp (bio)
The Philosopher of Palo Alto: Mark Weiser, Xerox PARC, and the Original Internet of Things
By John Tinnell. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2023. Pp. 368.

Historical research has provided an important understanding of how and in which social and cultural contexts today’s digital media and their infrastructures have emerged. Two definitive contributions are Fred Turner’s From Counterculture to Cyber-culture (2006), which centers on the Whole Earth Network, and Patrick McCray’s The Visioneers (2013), which explores space colonies and nanotechnologies in close relation to the developmental contexts of the digital era. Both studies incorporate personal approaches along with a broader social and cultural contextualization. The Philosopher of Palo Alto by John Tinnell follows a similar approach, concentrating on Mark Weiser (1952–99), a computer scientist and chief technology officer at Xerox PARC. However, the publication is not merely a biography; as the subtitle suggests, it aims to capture the emergence of what we now refer to as the “internet of things,” with reference to Weiser. The investigation is based on Weiser’s files in the Silicon Valley Archives at Stanford University, his publications, his interviews with former colleagues, and their publications.

The structure of The Philosopher of Palo Alto travels along ten chapters in chronological order. Following an introduction, the book begins with a contextualizing chapter on Xerox PARC. This section includes more biographical details, describing Weiser and his arrival in Palo Alto. The narrative then shifts to a more contemplative perspective, delving into Weiser’s interest in a philosophical approach to “things,” specifically through the influence of Michael Polanyi and Martin Heidegger. The extent to which Weiser’s technological thinking is influenced by phenomenology and the philosophy of life is a recurring theme throughout the book. It becomes clear that Weiser had significantly different ideas about the internet of things than the MIT [End Page 1046] Media Lab headed by Nicholas Negroponte, to which he positioned himself in opposition. However, it also becomes apparent to what extent Weiser’s approach to ubiquitous computing (“ubicomp”) was shaped through his debates and confrontations with colleagues, particularly with Lucy Such-man, who also worked at Xerox PARC. For Weiser, ubicomp did not mean transforming the human environment into a smart assistant—Negroponte’s “talking butler”—but rather, an “entanglement” of computer technology with the “natural” tangible environment of humans in which computer technology fades into the background. Tinnell’s study illustrates the horizon of this mode of thought, but also the process of failure in which—supported by well-known media companies—Negroponte’s concept prevailed over Weiser’s. The fact that Weiser’s approach did not gain the visibility that the MIT Media Lab acquired was perhaps also due to his early death, which prevented him from synthesizing his thoughts in the book he had planned.

John Tinnell’s book is an excellent study, rich in material and very well narrated. It can certainly be read as an account of Weiser’s substantive work, and the publisher’s marketing presumably suggests such a reading. In my view, however, Tinnell’s study is more relevant in a different dimension, namely, the moments in which a more analytical thinking rises to the surface. In such sections, the book offers an analysis of how the ideas of ubicomp emerged through Weiser’s close interaction with others. For example, we learn a lot about the role that the ethnographic approach embodied by Lucy Suchman played in Xerox PARC. This underscores that science and technology studies, as it exists today, presupposes a distinct “entanglement” not only between human and machine but also involving the interweaving of technology development and an informed analytical approach to human practice. In all this, the book reiterates the role that the imagination of possible futures, as well as spiritual thinking, played in this entire process.

Therefore, the most relevant insights of John Tinnell’s book are not those that deal with Weiser’s biography, but those that explain how the nascent concepts of the computerization of the human environment emerged in a multilayered figuration...

帕洛阿尔托的哲学家:马克-韦泽、施乐 PARC 和最初的物联网》,约翰-廷内尔著(评论)
评论者: 帕洛阿尔托的哲学家:马克-韦泽、施乐 PARC 和最初的物联网 作者:约翰-廷内尔 Andreas Hepp(简历) 帕洛阿尔托的哲学家:马克-韦泽、施乐 PARC 和最初的物联网 作者:约翰-廷内尔:马克-韦泽、施乐 PARC 和最初的物联网 作者:约翰-廷内尔。芝加哥:芝加哥:芝加哥大学出版社,2023 年。Pp.368.历史研究为我们了解当今数字媒体及其基础设施是如何以及在何种社会和文化背景下出现的提供了重要依据。弗雷德-特纳(Fred Turner)的《从反主流文化到网络文化》(2006 年)和帕特里克-麦克雷(Patrick McCray)的《远见者》(2013 年)是两部权威著作,前者以 "整个地球网络"(Whole Earth Network)为中心,探讨了与数字时代发展背景密切相关的太空殖民地和纳米技术。这两项研究都将个人方法与更广泛的社会和文化背景相结合。约翰-廷内尔(John Tinnell)所著的《帕洛阿尔托的哲学家》(The Philosopher of Palo Alto)也采用了类似的方法,集中介绍了施乐 PARC 的计算机科学家和首席技术官马克-韦泽(Mark Weiser,1952-99 年)。然而,这本出版物并不仅仅是一本传记;正如其副标题所示,它旨在通过韦泽来捕捉我们现在所说的 "物联网 "的出现。调查基于韦泽在斯坦福大学硅谷档案馆的档案、他的出版物、他与前同事的访谈以及他们的出版物。帕洛阿尔托的哲学家》的结构以时间为序,共十章。在导言之后,本书以有关施乐 PARC 的背景章节开始。这一部分包括更多的传记细节,描述了韦泽和他来到帕洛阿尔托的经历。然后,叙述转向了一个更具沉思性的视角,深入探讨了韦泽对 "事物 "哲学方法的兴趣,特别是受迈克尔-波兰尼和马丁-海德格尔的影响。韦泽的技术思想在多大程度上受到现象学和生命哲学的影响,是全书反复出现的主题。很明显,韦泽对物联网的想法与尼古拉斯-尼葛洛庞帝领导的麻省理工学院 [尾页 1046]媒体实验室大相径庭,他将自己定位在与之对立的位置上。不过,韦泽对泛在计算("ubicomp")的态度在多大程度上是通过与同事,尤其是与同在施乐 PARC 工作的露西-苏奇曼(Lucy Such-man)的辩论和对抗形成的,这一点也很明显。在韦泽看来,泛在计算并不意味着将人类环境转变为智能助手--即尼葛洛庞帝的 "会说话的管家"--而是计算机技术与人类 "自然 "有形环境的 "纠缠",在这种环境中,计算机技术逐渐淡出。廷内尔的研究说明了这种思维模式的前景,也说明了在知名媒体公司的支持下,尼葛洛庞帝的概念战胜韦泽概念的失败过程。韦泽的方法之所以没有获得麻省理工学院媒体实验室所获得的知名度,或许也是因为他过早地去世,导致他无法将自己的想法整理成书。约翰-廷内尔的这本书是一项出色的研究,材料丰富,叙述得当。这本书当然可以作为韦泽的实质性著作来读,出版商的营销策略大概也是这样暗示的。不过,在我看来,廷内尔的研究在另一个层面上更有意义,那就是更具分析性的思维浮出水面的时刻。在这些章节中,书中分析了韦泽如何通过与他人的密切互动来形成ubicomp 的思想。例如,我们了解到露西-苏奇曼(Lucy Suchman)所体现的人种学方法在施乐 PARC 中发挥的作用。这突出表明,当今的科技研究不仅以人与机器之间的独特 "纠缠 "为前提,而且还涉及技术发展与对人类实践的知情分析方法之间的相互交织。在所有这些方面,该书重申了对可能未来的想象以及精神思考在整个过程中所发挥的作用。因此,约翰-廷内尔在书中最有意义的见解并不是那些涉及韦泽传记的内容,而是那些解释人类环境计算机化的萌芽概念如何在多层次的具象化中出现的内容......
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Technology and Culture
Technology and Culture 社会科学-科学史与科学哲学
CiteScore
0.60
自引率
14.30%
发文量
225
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: Technology and Culture, the preeminent journal of the history of technology, draws on scholarship in diverse disciplines to publish insightful pieces intended for general readers as well as specialists. Subscribers include scientists, engineers, anthropologists, sociologists, economists, museum curators, archivists, scholars, librarians, educators, historians, and many others. In addition to scholarly essays, each issue features 30-40 book reviews and reviews of new museum exhibitions. To illuminate important debates and draw attention to specific topics, the journal occasionally publishes thematic issues. Technology and Culture is the official journal of the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT).
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