Someone asked the question of “what we would do if the World Wide Web didn’t exist?” I think back to when I was in elementary school and went to the library everyday after school. I preferred going there than to a babysitter. I remember spending hours looking at a variety of books. The library had everything I could think of wanting to research. Yes, the World Wide Web is convenient and faster, but it isn’t our only source of information. There’s word of mouth, books, newspaper, professors, and so on. However, to be perfectly honest, I would choose the World Wide Web. I’m sure we could all manage, but when you’ve already been introduced to the World Wide Web, no one would really wants to give it up. The library now seems so obsolete in my eyes and I’m extremely inpatient to read an entire book to find the answer to my question, when I can easily just search the Web. So in the end, I don’t really want to imagine not having the World Wide Web.

I don’t think I’ve ever thought about how much technology advancements have gone into creating the World Wide Web. There are so many aspect that I couldn’t even understand after reading it over several times.  The World Wide Web has so much to offer, especially to the college aged generation. I can’t think of a single class that I’ve taken in my four years here that I didn’t need to use the World Wide Web at least once. I can’t even begin to imagine what technology will have to offer in the next twenty years. Growing up in the 21^st century will really prepare us for a world revolving around technology because we’ve already become to dependant. I bring my laptop with me everywhere along with several other technological gadgets I need throughout the day. The article I read states “the Web does not yet meet its design goal as being a pool of knowledge that is as easy to update as to read,” and I can’t help but to think what’s next? Can the World Wide Web really get any better? I can always find the answer to my questions on the Internet, especially on Google. I’m sure many will agree with me. Will the Internet really become easier to use? I can’t wait to find out.

This video is an excellent look into teaching strategies and different kinds of learners. This video was done in December 2007, and displays some words of wisdom to teachers and future teachers. Take a look.. and take some notes!

As I continue to attend college, I find myself learning more and more about technology. Through watching the two minute video clip from Doug Englebart in the 1960’s allows me to see the history of technology and further my education into science and discovery. I cannot even fathom how I would live without a computer like those back then. After reading about the World Wide Web, I never realized how many different parts there are to make this whole entire system work. The different URL’s and what HTTP’s do to help aid in the use of the World Wide Web is absolutely fascinating and amazing to think how someone actually created this. I just find computers to be extremely interesting as there are many different parts that all work together like a unit. I wonder what the future will hold for technology. Thinking how far we have come in only a few years, makes me wonder what is next to come.
What would you do if the World Wide Web did not exist?

Watching Douglas Engelbart’s video on the concept of the computer was so interesting.   He talks about the intelligent, working American having a computer display backed by a computer that was “alive for you all day” and was responsive to everything you did.  This concept that he presented was in the 1960’s, way before a computer ever came about.  I try to imagine what the people listening to him talk about this farfetched concept were thinking.  I feel like it is equivalent to someone telling us today that we will one day have cars that fly.              He also discusses an internet system which he calls NLS. Engelbart talks about the “capability of NLS to jump between levels in the architecture of a text, making cross references, creating Internal linking and live hyperlinks within a file. Links can be made visible or invisible.”  I never knew that these concepts were in discovery so long ago.  I always thought that it was still a relatively new idea.  I think it is amazing that people were so inventive 40 years ago, coming up with concepts that are vital to our society today.

        As I grew up, I became more familiar with using computers. I would teach myself by just fiddling with the keyboard and figuring out new things. When I was in school I would have to take computer classes and really learn how to use a computer. I would learn the different parts of the computer: mouse, monitor, pc, and so on. The one thing I never really learned was how the computer came about. I never learned who invented the computer or what other forms of a computer took place before the computer that is placed in front of us today. I watched a small 2 minute clip of Doug Englebart’s 1968 demonstration of the mouse and word processing. Here is the link incase you are interested. word processing with mouse.  Today, after 23 years, I am still learning how to do different things on the computer. Every time I discover something that is new to me, I still become amazed. After watching Doug Englebart’s clip from 1968, it persuades me to want to look further into its history of how word processing evolved.

    Q: Does anyone have some prior knowledge of how computers evolved before

         watching Doug Englebart’s clip?

The advances in technology have always been an interest of mine. I’m often curious to know how things were when they were first invented. Throughout time and history, most technology has changed significantly from when they first were introduced to society. For instance, technology has changed the first form of the automobile to make it more convenient although because of these advances it’s less affordable. Without doing any research on this topic and basing this on just prior information that I have learned about the automobile, the first form was in the shape of a tricycle. In time, scientist discovered that this invention would be more suitable on four wheels. It’s interesting to know that in time, things have advanced so much. It makes me wonder how things will be in the next 10-20 years in relation to technology advances. After watching Doug Englebart’s 1968 demonstration of word processing with the mouse, I acknowledged how much most people take for grated when dealing with technology. The format of the computer itself has become so much more compact and easier to comprehend. I was shocked to see that the computer has changed so much throughout history.

Q. What are some other things that advances in technology has changed significantly throughout the years?