www.cyberslayer.co.uk

 


A new aid to rapid--almost magical--learning has made its appearance.
Indications are that if it catches on all the electronic gadgets will be
so much junk.

The new device is known as Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge.  The
makers generally call it by its initials, BOOK.

Many advantages are claimed over the old-style learning and teaching
aids on which most people are brought up nowadays. It has no wires, no
electric circuit to break down. No connection is needed to an
electricity power point. It is made entirely without mechanical parts to
go wrong or need replacement.

Anyone can use a BOOK, even children, and it fits comfortably into the
hands. It can be conveniently used sitting in an armchair by the fire.

How does this revoluntionary, unbelievably easy invention work?
Basically a BOOK consists only of a large number of paper "sheets."
These may run to hundreds where a BOOK covers a lengthy subject.  Each
sheet bears a number in sequence, so that the sheets cannot be used in
the wrong order.

To make it even easier for the user to keep the sheets in the proper
order they are held firmly in place by a special locking device called a
"binding."

Each sheet of paper presents the user with an information sequence in
the form of symbols, which he or she absorbs optically for automatic
registration on the brain. When one sheet has been assimilated a flick
of the finger turns it over and further information is found on the
other side.  By using both sides of each sheet in this way a great
economy is effected, thus reducing both the size and cost of a BOOK. No
buttons need to be pressed to move from one sheet to another, to open or
close the BOOK, or to start it working.

A BOOK may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it.
Instantly it is ready for use. Nothing has to be connected up or
switched on. The user may turn at will to any sheet, going backwards or
forwards as he pleases. A sheet is provided near the beginnning as a
location finder for any required information sequence, known as a
"Contents" sheet.

A small accessory, available at trifling extra cost, is the BOOKmark.
This enables the user to pick up his study where he left off on the
previous learning session. A BOOKmark is versatile and may be used in
any BOOK.

The initial cost varies with the size and subject matter. Already a vast
range of BOOKs are available, covering every conceivable subject and
adjusted to different levels of aptitude. One BOOK, small enough to be
held in the hands, may contain an entire learning schedule.

Once purchased, BOOK requires no further upkeep cost; no batteries are
needed, since the power, thanks to an ingenious device patented by the
makers, is supplied by the brain of the user. BOOKs may be stored on
handy shelves and for ease of reference the subject of the BOOK is
normally indicated on the back of the binding.

Altogether the Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge (BOOK) seems to have
great advantages with no drawbacks. We predict a big future for it.

-------------------------------- Press Review:

*BOOK* does not, in spite of the claims, seem "to have great advantages
with no drawbacks".  Soon, it probably won't even be legal.  Consider:

"It can be conveniently used sitting in an armchair by the fire." Being
paper, it might burn in the fire.  Probably fire laws in most locations
wouldn't allow its use there.  Worse, such a device, which encourages
close proximity of the user to fire, will be outlawed by OSHA's request.

"Each sheet bears a number in sequence, so that the sheets cannot be
used in the wrong order."  How quaint; to think that the programmer
would be allowed to turn over such an important task to the user!
"Cannot" is clearly misuse; any user could incorrectly turn to the wrong
page.  A proper user interface might correct that, of course, such as
requiring that each sheet be torn off to expose the next.  This is a
clear conflict with "The user may turn at will to any sheet, going
backwards or forwards as he pleases."

"A flick of the finger turns it over" will obviously be a major user
interface flaw. Such over-reliance on the finger invites lawsuits over
carpal-tunnel and other debilitating syndromes.

"BOOKs may be stored on handy shelves and for ease of reference".  The
user interface obviously needs more work before such a system can be
practical.

"The motive power -- is supplied by the brain of the user."  Clearly,
the inventors have not examined recent trends.  No serious person would
suggest even expecting a "user" to have a brain present, much less to
use it so continuously.

We suggest the inventors return to their cubicles and do a thorough
associative search of various data banks, like the rest of us, and
forget this nonsense.