Theos-Talk Archives (August 1998 Message tt00425)

Dear Rudy:

I think the situation in the East European countries is also very
interesting. Most have good connection to Internet, I believe, and hence
they can have easy and almost free and any on line stuff is invaluable.

Even in India where paper is scarce, Internet connection is becoming more
and more easily available.

On another aspect, I was at a meeting yesterday. The company said that any
new information, updates etc are first posted and then only the hard copy
is printed and mailed. This is what many organizations are doing.

On the other hand, theosophical organization(s) are still behind; they
don't appear to care to use Internet to disseminate information; they stick
to hard copy. May be there is some *occult* reason behind it, which may be
a secret,  or something else, who knows.


mkr

PS: BTW, I was told that there are some higher educational institutions
where the only way you can apply for admission is via Internet!!!

At 06:28 AM 8/25/1998 -0700, you wrote:
>Dear Doss and Dallas,
>
>I find this subject very interesting and the prospects for the future are
>very promising. The first thing that comes to my mind is countries that
>have a shortage of books and have no printing of theosophical books at all,
>like Cuba. When I visited the TS in that country a few years ago I was
>shocked that there was no copy of the "Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett" in
>the country. Before my trip I decided to take my own copy (Spanish version)
>with me and leave it there, as well as my spanish copy of the SD. So you
>can imagine what the internet could do to the Cuban theosophists. Right now
>there is a lot of control by the communist regime, and the Section, even if
>it has a computer system (donated by the Spanish theosophists), it doesn't
>have internet access, and can't download any theosophical material from the
>internet.
>
>I tried to find a way to connect them through a modem, but they kept
>telling me that it is not possible. Maybe some they will be able to join
>the theosophical world community through all means of communication,
>including high speed internet connection.
>
>Rudy
>
>
>>Dear Dallas:
>>
>>Here are my responses.
>>
>>At 04:00 PM 8/24/1998 -0700, you wrote:
>>>Aug 24th 1998
>>>
>>>Dear Doss:
>>>
>>>What you report is quite wonderful.  Now what would the average PC owner
>>>need to have in the way of software or access-ware to be able to do this ?
>>>
>>At this time, high speed access is very expensive. Only large institutions
>>and very rich people can afford it. What is needed is telecommunication
>>connection between your computer and the Internet Service Provider. The
>>most likely scenario is ability to get high speed connection via cable used
>>for cable television. The technology is not here yet. In a couple of years
>>it is likely to be available. For now the 33.6 modem is the most cost
>>effective approach for most of us.
>>
>>
>>>I would observe that the use of paper and printed texts is still a
necessity
>>>for students. as that is the place where one sets down one's ideas (of
>>>course this could be put down on a computer page/file -- and hopefully
there
>>>would be no crashes ! )
>>>
>>Agreed. Paper is not going away.
>>
>>>What I would like to address is the following:
>>>
>>>DATA is fine.  But it takes a mind that is fine-tuned to the nuances of
what
>>>is IMPLIED to digest compare and understand what the data means.
>>>
>>What we are seeing is information overload. But the ability to access info
>>is going to be valuable.
>>
>>>So, to my mind this will not render obsolete the written reference
material,
>>>although actual reference to certain DATA can be accelerated.
>>>
>>>It still takes a MIND going at its own pace to decipher the implications of
>>>such data as is received.
>>>
>>>What do you think ?
>>>
>>>Dallas
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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