More on Circular Progress in Social Media?
by Bill Ives
In my last post I discussed some ideas inspired by Rob Paterson’s post, More on War as the Accelerant for Social Software. Here are others from the early 20th century. My grandfather was a country doctor in Oklahoma Territory and bought the first car in the immediate area. Now there were also those who resisted cars as impractical and said the horse would never be replaced. My grandfather was one with these doubts but he decided to give it a try.
When he bought the car, the sales guy came and lived on the farm for two weeks to teach him the new technology. When he went on rounds to see patients, he would often be gone for 30 hours or more. My grandfather would get very tried. When he drove the horse and buggy, he could throw the reins over the side after the last round and sleep, as the horses knew the way home.
Once he started using the car he kept falling asleep at the wheel. Fortunately for him and me, the roads were aligned to the old technology and were wagon ruts. The car would slip off the ruts and stall, leaving him unhurt. He was about to give up on the car, when he taught his young daughter, my aunt, to drive for him so he could sleep. Now in the early 21st century the car has caught up with the horses and does know the way home but you still have to drive unless you get a driver like my grandfather employed.
