Desktop to Discourse: Philosophy Born of Wordstar and VisiCalc – Robin Hill (Laramie)

Abstract:

While the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Philosophy and Computers started its mission with community tech help and suggestions, the path proceeded through technique, practice, and application to philosophy. To explore interesting stages along the way, this talk identifies and follows features of office software through their effects and implications to emerging philosophical questions. Some are known, some are trivial, but we find questions of potential depth concerning the affordances and constraints of naming, values, separation, and structure, all appropriate for the philosophy of computing.

This lecture is part of the 8th HaPoC Conference 2025 in Aachen.

If you would like to attend, please register with events@khk.rwth-aachen.de.