Module 10

            The short story, “A Logic Named Joe” was written in the late 1940’s, yet it closely depicts many modern computer and internet concepts. During the time that this story was written, there were no personal computers, no internet, and no social networking, but the author was able to imagine all these things and include them in this story.

            In this story, personal computers are called Logics and described as looking like an old tube television with a keyboard where the dials are typically located. The “vision screen” is like the compute monitor where information and video calling are displayed. The description of video calling reminds me of The Jetson’s, but the cartoon didn’t air until 1962. The Logic can display television shows, current weather, game scores, as well as computing math, bookkeeping, as well as few other profession career services. At the time, gadgets and concepts in The Jetson’s were considered futurist and ahead of the times, but the ideas in “A Logic Named Joe” were presented even earlier.

            The author explains that all of the Logics are connect to each other, but at the beginning of the story, do not communicate with each other. The Logics begin to link together when one highly intelligent Logic understands how to compile and display information from all the combined Logics, and starts operating as a server. It also learns how to over ride a censor block (think parental controls). The Logic then starts its’ own version of Google and transmits it to all other Logics. Users would be greeted with a message, asking them what they would like to know. The user could then type in a question, and an answer would appear. The earliest version of Google did not exist until 1996, 60 years after this story was written.

            At one point in the story, a Logic user is trying to locate a local resident. She types in the name of the person she is looking for, and the Logic begins searching through all the connect Logics that are registered to the owners. This is now known as an IP address. In this story, though, the person that is being searched for has not registered his Logic. Today, you can find almost anyone with a computer based on their IP address, and, unlike this story, every computer is registered.

            When the Logic is unable to find who the user is looking for, it decides to ask all Logic users for their name. The logic then takes this information and links it with their address, birthday, bank information, criminal records, and anything else that might be stored on a database. While this could happen today, most people and institutions have developed software and firewalls to protect the privacy of the general public. But, with advent of Facebook and other social networking websites, some of the public has become sloppy at what they post and provide to the World Wide Web.

            There is one part in “A Logic Named Joe” that slightly resembles Facebook, and past relationships that are rekindled by using this social networking website. Once the Logics user was able to find the former flame she was looking for, she tries to reignite their relationship. The Logic makes this easier by providing her with all his information. Social networking websites like Facebook have made reconnecting with old relationships as easy as typing a name. The searcher can be provided with information such as age, martial status, location, phone number and email address. In my opinion, this short section of the story foreshadows social networking which did not start until the mid to late 1990’s.

            If I was to have read this story about five years ago, I would have thought that the author was close to predicting the future of computers and the internet, with the exception of watching this information from the comfort of your living room. Today, you can connect your television to your computer or wireless internet connection and watch various television shows, movies, and other websites. Even though this story was written almost 70 years ago, the author was able to explain the evolution of computers in a short science fiction story.