I’ve noticed a spate of ‘Bush-bashing’ as of late! NO, I don’t mean George or George W. I mean the man Vannevar. From the panel session at HT2010 to Mark Bernstein’s blog to the Paul De Bra’s recent unKeynote at Web Art Science and general ascent from various audience members - indeed, I think Dave Millard and Alan Dix also agree with Mark and Paul’s observations. There seems to be two general assertions: firstly that Bush does not propose Hypertext because Hypertext as Ted Nelson sees it (and therefore we see it) is different, and secondly that ‘As We May Think’ was such ‘popular science’ - getting ‘predictions’ both right and wrong - as to render it nearer to fiction such as Murray Leinster’s 1946 short story, “A Logic Name Joe” or H.

One of my ‘A History of HCI in 15 Papers’ Vannevar Bush (1945). As We May Think ATLANTIC MAGAZINE (July) At 65 ‘As We May Think’ has reached its pensionable age but as yet is showing no signs of retiring. As a researcher within the Web Science and Hypertext domains, and as a member of SIGWEB, I already know who Vannevar Bush is and understand the importance of his work to my field.