The Serendipity Machine: A Voyage of Discovery Through the Unexpected World of Computers

by David G. Green

The modern computer's role as a serendipity machine--a catalyst for new and surprising discoveries--and its awesome social ramifications are identified and discussed along with the relationship... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 186508655X
• ISBN13: 9781865086552
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin Academic
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

future social impact?

Green furnishes an eloquent survey of modern computing. Not from the technical standpoint. He leaves that to others. But instead he concentrates on explaining possible future trends, that could impact you. Such topics like data mining and users' personal agents and the rise of various virtual communities. For the latter, we see glimmerings already in economic-oriented websites like eBay, or more general websites like craigslist. Or even in the massive multiplayer role playing domains. The latter may in fact be currently the most comprehensive virtual communities on the net. So he discusses what they might look like, decades hence.