Week 1a

Activity 3
This is just where I'll put notes on the activity but will also post to the tutor discussion forum....

Please read Naughton’s Thanks, Gutenberg – but we’re too pressed for time to read . As you read, think about the following questions so that you can share your ideas in the forum:

• What strikes you as interesting? that there is actually a recognised term 'horizontal information seeking' for what I though only I did....I skim the web pages as I would do a book but I also have numerous tabs open and skim many one after another. The size of the web compared to the length of its life so far (17 years)
• How clear do you find the argument about the First Law of Technology – for example, the point about overestimating? I think this is fairly clear....we have no idea really what the long term impacts of technology may be in particular the www. We appear to want to create as many technologies as possible in order to meet needs but are they accessible to all, are they really necessary, are they cost effective in the long run, who are they benefitting? So we may have overestimated.

The opening reference to the First Law of Technology certainly grabs the reader’s attention. Apart from printing, are there other examples – not mentioned in the article – that support this ‘law’, and others that contradict it? This may feel quite a tough question: pooling your ideas should be very useful.
Try to agree on the following in your group forum:

• of the examples you have suggested in your group, which is the single most significant supporting example apart from printing?
• which is the most significant counter example?
• Then, according to how much time you have, find out about ‘The Second Law of Technology’. Google or

Wikipedia may be helpful here.

Naughton refers to the ‘invention of printing in the 15th century’. Wasn’t it invented earlier? Again Google or Wikipedia may be helpful if you’re not sure. In your opinion, is the phrase too Eurocentric, or is it fair enough in such a short piece of writing?

Browse John Naughton’s online diary. You may want to set yourself a time limit! You could also bookmark it for future use: in Internet Explorer 7, for example, right click on the page and then select ‘Add to Favourites…’