BEST PERSONAL INVESTMENTS

I can't remember, recall, when Dynabook was envisioned. (Well, but probably many more other Dynabooks have been envisioned - came into the minds of many human beings, many more times, even before Alan Kay came to think about it. Many humans (must) have felt for potentials among kids (human beings) - and dreamed of, thought of, 'something different'.)

It was - when? 70s or 80s? Douglas Engelbart came up with whole his ideas (and basic tenets or 'policies' - set of ideas) exactly when? 1968 was merely a 'demo'. When his ideas about group-ware, group workstations - and some other important, key ideas came up? (and why and how?)

And when Alan Kay part his way from Engelbart - (or ? while he was still at Palo Alto, before MIT?) that's the point Dynabook came?

All this was before - what's really important here is - before America went through all these 'changes' - now it really has to face and match up - and find probably better solutions.

When I bought this paper - I just thought both of Engelbart's system or Alan Kay's ideas - (or probably even Papert's idea about how to use screen and keyboard based comptuers - for kids or potentials of human beings...) - came before 'Mom is working' or mom has work - kind of situation.

Probably both parents weren't working. Probably both parents didn't have credit cards. Probably both parents didn't have to have Excel files to handle their financials.

Maybe no one had 'office' - in their apartments and homes.

Since then, things have moved on. More tools, more papers, more printed stuff, more 'measurements' -

Unfortunately talks about dreams and ideas for computers have no social context. But I am replaying 1996 conference - Brown and MIT one. Engelbart surely said adults are the problems - and we need to work on adults. Kay didn't answer. Tim Berners Lee only said it's doom and gloom.

Recently two NYT column pieces said America failed on making use of past 30 years. That gives an anchor point around 1977. Engelbart sustained his alarmist(?) tendency since probably 60s - sometime.

What started to go wrong since late 70s? -

Then I think of what Suzy Orman says. America is not happy with credit card. She hopes for America, where people can really live without credit cards. She thinks it's not American and she judges that it's not good for anyone. She says it's ridiculous to think that people should be able to invest in stocks. No. She says. We all should be able to live without having portfolios. That's kind of day dreaming, but we can't firmly say 'no everyone should have stocks and investments.' She recommends treasury bonds - something more stable and probably least volatile. (* I should check out what she has been saying about this housing downturn and subprime mess.)

We will have this society - both parents keep working, keep having credit cards, keep billed for fine prints. No time for just plain and calm things, but stressed out for partial, limited, not so reliable and stable over-extended bandage type of solutions.

And gasp for some real moments.