Mirror Worlds (1992)

Currently I am reading lots of research papers and books in order to build the theoretical framework for my dissertation. As I am digging deeper and deeper into older literature I stumble across stunning pieces of thought. An excellent example is David Gelernter’s book Mirror Worlds (1992).

From the perspective of the early nineties, Gelernter describes a vision of future information systems called “mirror worlds”. While his implementation idea sounds a little bit like Second Life and virtual worlds, in my opinion the most significant part of the book are the first 30 pages. Gelernter motivates his ideas and explains the necessary of open information and the concept of information flows which could be the foundation of little agents supporting people. It is hard to paraphrase, so I am going to let the original text speak:

First of all, Gelernter motivates mirror worlds with ubiquitous information on city life:

“Suppose you are sitting in a room somewhere in a city, and you catch yourself wondering – what’s going on out there? What’s happening? At this very instant, traffic on every street is moving or blocked, your local government is making brilliant decisions, public money is flowing out at a certain rate, the police are deployed in some pattern, there’s a fire here and there, the schools are staffed and attended in some way or other, oil and cauliflower are selling for whatever in local markets… This list could fill the rest of the book. Suppose you’d like to have some of this information? Why? Who are you to be so nosy? Let’s say you’re a commuter or an investment house or a school principle or a CEO or journalist or politician or policeman or even a mere, humble, tax-paying citizen. Let’s say you’re just curious.” (p. 3)

“The software model of your city, once it’s set up, wil be available (like a public park) to however many people are interested, hundreds or thousands or millions at the same time. It will show each visitor exactly what he wants to see – it will sustain a million different views, a million different focuses on the same city simultaneously.” (p. 5)

He goes on in noticing that, while the task is very complex, supporting software has to be based on only a few basic and easy principles:

“At the same time we develop vast complex software worlds, the simple machines of information structure are also just being invented. The wheel, the ramp, the wedge, the screw, the lever. Much of today’s software-structures research amounts precisely to this search for universal, simple information-machines that can support vast complex structures. It makes no sense to reinvent the bolt and the geartrain every time you design a mechanical device. Builders of information machinery too would prefer to start with the universal, basic stuff in hand. But what are the simple information machines?” (p. 10)

From today’s perspective, it is possible that we have already found the key mechanisms: status updates, following, and hashtags.

Afterwards, Gelernter introduces the concept of intelligent agents. He discusses a hospital example, where agents dig into available information and support users by hints and other information:

“A note might say that ‘Dr. X’s agent is surprised that you haven’t tried W yet.’ Some agents are public […], others designed only for their creators.” (p. 21)

We have such agents on Twitter today for lots of simple tasks. In a broader context, combined with data mining, professional tools like Akibot are jumping in. So Gelernter’s future becomes reality.

Finally, the author discusses business uses and hits the nail on the head. Imagine the following passage with “Enterprise Microblogging” as its headline. It would completely make sense:

“Complex high-tech manufacturing requires teams of design, engineering, manufacturing-process and production specialists. Traditionally, new products went their way back and forth among these groups, from one to the next and (if necessary) back again until an initial idea has been transformed into a buildable product. Nowadays we hear that this ad hoc process is too expensive. An integrated, coordinated design process is essential, with designers and engineers and production people working simultaneously on the same project. […]

The problems in coordinated design center on information flow. Everyone needs to be up to date. Everyone needs to know immediately if his own group’s work has been jeopardized or in any way affected by another group’s decision.” (p. 26)

Given current developments with microblogging, ubiquitous microblogging and activitiy streams, Gelernter’s foresight is astonishing. A truly recommended read:

Gelernter, D. (1992). Mirror Worlds: Or the Day Software Puts the Universe in a Shoebox…How It Will Happen and What It Will Mean. Oxford University Press.