I admire Bradbury as a writer and I can empathise with him in many of his futuristic novels. However, I strongly disagree with his anti-technology stance. In F451, he does well to draw the reader's attention to the potentiality of technology being manipulated by the state to control the populace, even more effectively than Orwell in 1984 in my opinion. Despite this, his comments in various interviews about technology are backward, out-of-date, childish and absurd. WHILE TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO CONTROL PEOPLE (LIKE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS FOR EXAMPLE), IT IS GENERALLY NOT A BAD THING! TO BASE AN ARGUMENT AGAINST LITERATURE BEING MADE AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET ON THE FLIMSY FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENJOYMENT HE FINDS IN SMELLING BOOKS AS HE READS THEM IS WHOLLY RIDICULOUS! THE INTERNET IS ARGUABLY THE GREATEST INVENTION EVER AND MAKES DEBATES SUCH AS THIS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDER RANGE OF PEOPLE! WITHOUT THE INTERNET, OVER 50% OF BUSINESSES WOULDN'T EXIST AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION WOULD BE MUCH MORE PRIMITIVE! I THINK THAT PUTTING BOOKS ON THE INTERNET IS A GREAT IDEA - IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO READ BOOKS AND YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD GET THROUGH MORE OF THEM WITHOUT QUESTION! I FEEL THAT BY LAUNCHING THIS ARGUMENT OF HIS AGAINST TECHNOLOGY, BRADBURY IS WORKING AGAINST THE UNIVERSAL ARGUMENTS HE IS TRYING TO GET ACROSS IN BOOKS SUCH AS F451, FOR THE INTERNET IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF CONVEYING A SINGLE MESSAGE TO A MASS AUDIENCE! FOR PETE'S SAKE, GET WITH THE TIMES, RAY BRADBURY, AND GROW UP!!!

tundratrial.

Oh, here we go!! Another prankster?? If you knew anything about the internet you would be well aware that you don't SHOUT! That's a whole lot of shouting going on up there!

But seriously, your entire dissertation nearly revolves around the premise that smelling books is a childish event. Obviously, your smeller has other preferences. I mean, you do have some preferences, don't you?

When President George Bush awarded this 'immature' writer Ray Bradbury, this one you feel needs to grow up, with a distinguished award a few weeks ago at the White House, for his contribution to American literature, perhaps you should take extra note of the event. Would it be wise for you to start reading all that stuff you say is available to you on the internet, that's cheaper, you say, and that you could get thru more of them reading materials? I say, Go for it!! You're never too old to learn something new.


[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 02-19-2005).]

I think most of technology is morally neutral. It provides tools through which we can accomplish either good or bad -- depending entirely on what we choose to do with it.

I would contend with your assertion that 50% of the businesses wouldn't be here without the internet (I think that number is wildly exagerrated), but do not deny the power of the internet. I agree with you that Bradbury appears to underappreciate the internet.

This forum (with some notable offenders) provides a place where people all over the world can congregate and intelligently discuss a writer we have a common interest in. This is totally due to the power of the internet.

But the internet is also mis-used. The recent case of the guy in Oregon who set up a chat room that got 32 women to agree to commit suicide on a given day, and some who agreed to murder their children as a part of that pact is an example of technology providing a forum where persons who are evil themselves use the tool of the internet to harm others. I have read that up to 40% of internet pages are porn -- anything ranging from mild semi-nudity to bestiality and snuff films.

Besides, I would disagree with an assertion that Bradbury is completely anti-technology. He is a HUGE fan of the space program -- the very cutting edge of multiple fields of advanced technology.

I think Bradbury's focus is on humanity as opposed to technology. When technology advances man, then I don't see Bradbury as having a problem with it. When technology harms man, then I see Bradbury raising up a warning flag. Never give up your humanity, seems to be his call.

Fire is a greater invention than the Internet. However, if you would argue that fire was rather a discovery, then I vote for the wheel, or perhaps the light bulb. But I suppose that's beside the point...

[This message has been edited by Yestermorrow (edited 02-20-2005).]

The internet not only makes available the texts of rare old books almost impossible to buy, it makes avid readers aware of wonderful books of which they'd otherwise have never heard! As for how Ray would react to the argument (or protest or whatever it is) presented above, I've found he has three basic reactions.
1. Stick to his original position despite all appeals.
2. Change his original position with, "I didn't say that, or, if I said it, that's not what I meant."

The third thing is, of course, do what he does best and resort to metaphor: "It's like a hand in a glove. It all depends on what kind of hand you put in the glove."

In this case, I'd strongly vote for number three if reading for informational purposes. For pleasure purposes, I still wouldn't, as he says, "Take the internet to bed," though I do spend so many hours on it I almost fall asleep in front of it as people can attest who read the times on my posts!

[This message has been edited by dandelion (edited 02-21-2005).]