Being there

摘要

I used to read quite a lot of writing by tech-nology gurus and digital theorists. One thing that emerged clearly was a sense that this new electronic realm of the screen was so rich and wonderful, so extensive, if not infinite, in the territory it opened up, and so radical in its implications for identity and interaction that it would replace many aspects of the physical world. These writers often sounded completely intoxicated by this prospect. Judging from their enthusiastic prose, it seemed that they could hardly wait for it to happen. They were evangelists for what they saw as the inevitable and necessary next step for humani-ty.