back to deep 60s and some techdev countdowns.

arpa project as project "Intrex" (information transfer experiments), a library service from the 60s for the mit and others, which should be an "augmented library catalog" according to the haring paper or - as paul a. borel presents it as a tool for "controlling intelligence information".

"... the user's initial contact with the console, the only part of the Intrex Catalog System which the average user sees, be a pleasant one.

The display console takes the form of a two-pedestal desk. One pedestal houses the console electronics and the second pedestal is free for storage of user's materials. Figure 3 is an artist's sketch of the console. The display CRT [cathode-ray-tube] is in a movable mount that is attached to the center rear of the desk. This places the display directly in front of the user at a comfortable distance from his eyes and hands. The mount allows the display CRT to be moved up or down, left or right, and to be tilted up or down to accommodate user preference. The movable mount is normally firmly locked to its supporting member and is released with a single pushbutton for adjustment. Since this mount is counterweighted, its position can be changed with a minimum amount of effort while the user is sitting down.

The CRT programmable buttons are on the display- CRT mount located at the bottom of the CRT. The keyboard is connected to the console with a cable of sufficient length to permit positioning it anywhere on the surface of the desk." ("A display console for an experimental computer-based augmented library catalog", by donald r. haring, 1968, mit, acm)

more from mr borel about computer and usage 1966:

My own rule of thumb in the application of machines to nonnumeric problems is this: expect half as much in twice the time at twice the cost. If you get it you can count yourself lucky. (automation for information control)

geodec: databases, artificial intelligence, computer vision and graphics.

don't know, seems to be the topic of my day, falling over it also by reading about the work of holmes: flowmaps, the imaginaries of global integration.

still thinking of steve newcomb and his dream of making information stick; or plato's cave story when i see things like digg. (thanks paul)