Vannevar Bush and the WWW

Vannevar Bush:
Well, Jim, I'll admit that there are some obvious advantages to having access to that much information. I even mentioned in "As We May Think" that pre-indexed encyclopedias could be inserted into a memex for reference. I just doubt how much of the information on the Web can be valuable to a specific person. I found plenty of information in one day that I would imagine no one would find useful. It is very difficult to make an organized trail of so much information.

It would be much easier to allow people to fill their own memex and choose the information and organization for their memex. The way the World-Wide Web is now - as big as it is - there would have to be some type of filtering and choosing system for people to use so they can make sense of all the information on the Web. The Web seems to be slapped-together lists of products to buy and news and other things. It is trying to do much more than I planned for the memex.

Jim Marinetti:
So, are you disappointed with the World Wide Web?

Vannevar Bush:
Yes and no. I just thought it would be different. I envisioned the content of the memex to be more academic...more based on a thought process. I thought the memex could reveal how great minds thought - the path they followed to develop their ideas. It was important that others could see all of the steps that led to the final product, not just the final product. People could share how thoughts were formed. Maybe these people that do the sharing could act like the filters I was talking about.

Vannevar relaxes on his sailboat...no doubt contemplating the modern Web

Jim Marinetti:
Are you talking about the "trailblazers" you described in you article? Could skilled trailblazers improve the Web?

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