Date of Birth | Nationality | Residence | Education | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 17, 1937 | American | USA | Swarthmore College | Computer Scientist, Philosopher, Writer |
Ted Nelson is an American computer scientist, philosopher, and writer who is best known as the pioneer of hypertext and the concept of hypermedia. He coined the terms "hypertext" and "hypermedia" in the 1960s and developed the Xanadu Project, a hypertext publishing system, in the 1970s. He is also credited with introducing the idea of transclusion, which is the ability to include content from multiple sources in a single document. Nelson's work has been influential in the development of the World Wide Web and other hypertext systems.
Nelson has written several books on hypertext and computing, including Computer Lib/Dream Machines (1974), Literary Machines (1981), and Geeks Bearing Gifts (2001). He has also written extensively on the philosophy of computing, including the concept of "computer libido" and the idea of "computer-mediated reality".
Nelson has been a vocal critic of the current state of the World Wide Web, arguing that it has failed to live up to its potential as a hypertext system. He has also been critical of the commercialization of the web, arguing that it has led to a "tyranny of the majority" and a "loss of freedom".
Ted Nelson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1937. He attended Swarthmore College, where he studied mathematics and philosophy. After graduating in 1959, he moved to Japan, where he taught English and studied Zen Buddhism. He returned to the United States in 1962 and began working as a computer programmer.
In 1965, Nelson began working on the Xanadu Project, a hypertext publishing system. The project was initially funded by the National Science Foundation, but it was eventually abandoned due to lack of funding. Nelson continued to work on the project independently, and in the late 1970s, he founded Project Xanadu, Inc. to commercialize the system.
In the 1980s, Nelson began working on a new hypertext system called ZigZag. The system was designed to be more flexible and user-friendly than Xanadu, but it was never completed. Nelson also wrote several books on hypertext and computing during this period, including Computer Lib/Dream Machines (1974) and Literary Machines (1981).
Nelson has been a professor at various universities, including the University of California, San Diego, the University of Hawaii, and Keio University in Japan. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Toronto, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Oxford.
Nelson has been a vocal critic of the current state of the World Wide Web, arguing that it has failed to live up to its potential as a hypertext system. He has also been critical of the commercialization of the web, arguing that it has led to a "tyranny of the majority" and a "loss of freedom".
Nelson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Japan Prize in 1998, the Lovelace Medal in 2001, and the Turing Award in 2004.
Nelson has been an influential figure in the computing world, and his work has been cited by numerous celebrities, including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Tim Berners-Lee. He has also been a mentor to many computer scientists, including Alan Kay and Douglas Engelbart.
Nelson is known for his witty and often controversial quotes. Some of his most famous quotes include:
Nelson has been criticized for his often-controversial views on computing and the World Wide Web. He has also been criticized for his failure to complete the Xanadu and ZigZag projects.
Nelson is also known for his eccentric behavior and his love of cats. He has been known to wear a cat-shaped hat and carry a stuffed cat with him wherever he goes.
Nelson is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery and the British Computer Society.