Theos-Talk Archives (November 1999 Message tt00018)

At 08:17 AM 11/10/1999 -0500, Bart Lidofsky wrote:
>	I didn't see Doss' original message, but: 
>
>	A) The personal computer was invented in 1976; it had not reached 10
>million households by 1983. 

   Want to add a couple of years; fine with me.

>
>	B) When the Internet was 4 years old, it had not reached ANY
>households. While household access to the Internet was indirectly
>available by the mid '80's (via BBS's with Internet connections) even
>those hadn't reached 10 million households. America Online (who likes to
>pretend that it is the Internet) didn't even reach 10 million households
>within 4 years of its creation (as a club for Commodore 64 users). In
>fact, it took the Internet on the order of 30-35 years to reach 10
>million households.
>
Internet was a closed system until recently in that I as a private citizen
did not have access to it till a couple of year ago. Viewed from that point
of view, I think the statistics may be on target.

Viewed as a whole, what is apparent is various technologies are speeding up
in their spread and since many of them are in the fields of communication,
they tend to affect many facets of the society.

The next step we are going to see is with the DSL, the Internet connection
is going to be on 24 hours and this is going to affect many facets. Right
now, a model house is on disply in UK which is fully wired and connected to
internet and many operations are controlled by the LAN in the home. It is
targeted to be a middle class home.

Two days ago, there was the "town-hall" meeting on Internet by the
President -- which is the first ever -- even though the "meeting" was not
truly a direct one, because audience was restricted to 50000 (whereas there
was more than 250000 connected to an appearance of the Rock Star)  and the
questions were filtered unlike the open town hall meetings held under the
glare of TV cameras.

Also consider the fact that the Judges of US Federal Courts tend to adhere
to old time conservative ways; whereas the recent Finding of Fact on
Microsoft case was e-mailed to the plaintiffs and defendant and was made
available for download by anyone at the end of the day. In CA there is a
proposition to allow voters to vote via Internet, which when passed is
going to fundamentally increase the number of voters exercising their
franchise.

When one looks at all the events such as the above, it looks to me that
theosophy and its major proponents are still in quill age if not stone age.
While we all may be studying ancient wisdom, we cannot ignore what is going
on around us which makes us communicate quicker and cheaper. 

It looks like either you get on the train or bus or left behind and perhaps
snowed under.


mkr

>Martin Leiderman wrote:
>> 
>> And Pokemon just 1 week.
>> 
>> RAMADOSS@eden.com wrote:
>> 
>> > Here is some interesting info.
>> >
>> > How long it took inventions to reach 10 million housholds.
>> >
>> > Telephone   ---           38 yrs
>> > Fax            ---           22 yrs
>> > Cable TV    ---           25 yrs
>> > Cell Phones -              9 yrs
>> > VCRs          -              9 yrs
>> > Personal Computers -- 7 yrs
>> >
>> > Internet                    -- 4 yrs
>> >
>> > While thesophists may be interested in "Ancient" Wisdom, and some may not
>> > understand or avoid Internet and want to mimick the living conditions in
>> > Tibet, the fact of the matter is modern technology should be fully
utilised
>> > to make theosophy reach as many people as possible.
>> >
>> > I suppose there may be many greying lurking undecided skeptics of
Internet.
>> > There appears to be many "theosophists" who may think or imagine they are
>> > closer to the being initiates, on the way to adeptship and who care
less or
>> > do not understand Internet. Hopefully the statistics may make them think
>> > and meditate to find out what Internet can do for theosophy, do it
quickly.
>> >
>> > mkr
>

-- THEOSOPHY WORLD -- Theosophical Talk -- theos-talk@theosophy.com

Letters to the Editor, and discussion of theosophical ideas and
teachings. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message consisting of
"subscribe" or "unsubscribe" to theos-talk-request@theosophy.com.