Preface

1 Introduction: Prophets and Narratives -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Prophets -- 1.3 Computers and Futures: Meta-narratives of Socio-technical Change -- 1.3.1 Revolution -- 1.3.2 Technological Determinism -- 1.3.3 Cultural Lag -- 1.3.4 Universalism and Globalization -- 1.3.5 Modernization -- 1.3.6 Diffusion -- 1.3.7 Appropriation -- 1.4 Overview of the Book -- 1.4.1 PART I: Across the Iron Curtain -- 1.4.2 PART II: Building National Computing Cultures -- 1.4.3 PART III: Preparing for the Computer Age

PART I ACROSS THE IRON CURTAIN

2 Man-Machine Dialogues: Computer Representations and Appropriations in the Soviet Union and the United States -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Scenarios of Interaction: The Human-like Machines of Boris Artzybasheff -- 2.3 "In the Loop": Appropriation and Divergence -- 2.4 Conclusions: Today for Tomorrow

3 Microcomputers for the Masses. Jack Tramiel and Commodore -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 From Ghetto to Ghetto -- 3.3 Around the World with Portable Typewriters -- 3.4 Adding Machines and the Cost of Capital -- 3.5 Semiconductors and the High-tech Consumer -- 3.6 The Consumer Computer -- 3.7 Conclusion

4 Banking the Future of Banking : Savings Banks and the Digital Age in East and West Germany -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Computing a Socialist Future: High Expectations of Digital Technology among East German Banking Officials -- 4.3 Computing German Capitalism? Savings Banks as Early Adopters and "Processors" of the Future in West Germany -- 4.4 Comparison and Outlook

PART II BUILDING NATIONAL COMPUTER CULTURES

5 The United Kingdom: Going it Alone? -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Britain Meets the Computer -- 5.3 The 1950s: First in the World? -- 5.4 The 1960s: From World-beating to Worldly-wise -- 5.5 American Practices and British Identity -- 5.6 The Challenge of the Chip -- 5.7 Into the 1980s: Strategic Dreams in Straitened Times -- 5.8 British Computers for the People: Microcomputing and Popular Culture -- 5.9 Conclusion

6 French National Paths Within a Global Computing Market -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 The Independent and Voluntary Nature of Computer Equipment Programs in France (from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s) -- 6.2.1 The Diversity of the French Industrial Environment during the 1950s and 1960s -- 6.2.2 The Bull Affair and the "French Delay" Theme -- 6.2.3 The Trial and Error of European Strategy -- 6.3 Intervention, Adoption, and Adaptation: Different Strategies to "Computerize Society" (mid-1970s to 1980s) -- 6.3.1 Office Equipment and the "State Machine" -- 6.3.2 A Broad Strategic Vision for Minitel, or "the Final Moment of Glory for the Engineering State" -- 6.3.3 The "Computing for All" Plan: Increasingly Controversial Interventionism -- 6.4 Conclusion

7 Dutch Prophets: Pragmatic Optimism and Suppressed Fears -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Computing in the Netherlands Until 1970 -- 7.3 Reflections in the Press -- 7.4 Power, Authority, and Rational Decision-Making: Toonder's Stories -- 7.5 The Public Role of the Computer Pioneers -- 7.6 A Self-Proclaimed Prophet: Fred Polak -- 7.7 From the Late 1950s to the Early 1970s: The Automation Debate -- 7.8 Should Philips Challenge the Giant? -- 7.9 The Census Debate in the Netherlands, 1970-1971 -- 7.10 Conclusion

8 Computing the New China. The Founding Fathers, the Maoist Way, and Neoliberalism, 1945-1986 -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 The Founding Fathers of the Chinese Computer Industry -- 8.2.1 The First Computers -- 8.3 The Importance of the Soviet Union -- 8.3.1 The Role of Sergey Lebedev -- 8.3.2 The 12 Year Scientific Plan -- 8.4 Computers During the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, 1958 to the Early 1970s -- 8.5 Deng's Policy for Overcoming the Giant -- 8.6 Newspapers and Science Fiction -- 8.6.1 Newspapers -- 8.6.2 The Literary View -- 8.7 Conclusions -- 8.A Annex

9 Digital India. Swadeshi-Computing in India since 1947 -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Modern Visions: Political Architects and Scientific Prophecies -- 9.2.1 Nehru's "Temples of Modern India" -- 9.2.2 Data Policy: National Planning and Pursuing the Computer -- 9.3 Autonomy and Alliances -- 9.3.1 Aligning India in the Cold War-A Computer Aid Policy -- 9.3.2 Developing a Computer Nation: Educating Computer Elites -- 9.3.3 Automation Protests and Computer Criticism -- 9.4 Rival Visions-India's National Computing Culture -- 9.4.1 Big Science versus Appropriate Technologies -- 9.4.2 "The World is Flat?" India's Quest for "Self-reliance," the Clash with IBM, and the Triumph of IT Services -- 9.5 Digital Divides: The Digital Society, Its Boundaries and Hierarchies -- 9.6 Conclusion: Digital India. India's Struggle for "Digital Independence" between Nationalism and Globalism in the Twenty-first Century

PART III PREPARING FOR THE COMPUTER AGE

10 Computers in the Shadow of Communism : The Polish People's Republic -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Managers and Constructors: Computing in Poland -- 10.3 Scientists and Journalists: Education and Entertainment Mixed with Propaganda -- 10.3.1 1946 to the 1970s: Overview -- 10.3.2 The 1950s and 1960s: The Restructuring of Work and Society -- 10.3.3 The 1950s and 1960s: Predicting Development of Electronics and Communication -- 10.3.4 The 1970s and 1980s: The Man-Machine Relationship, Artificial Intelligence, and Surveillance -- 10.4 Writers: Polish Science Fiction Between Censorship and Western Influence -- Early Period. Inspirations from USSR and the Early Works of Lem -- 10.4.2 The 1960s and 1970s: Not Only Lem -- 10.4.3 Late Period. Sociological SF -- 10.5 Conclusion -- 10.6 Epilogue

11 Dreams of the Vanquished: Narratives of Postwar Japan -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Narratives of Overcoming the Defeat by Means of Computers: From 1945 to the Mid-1960s -- 11.3 Narratives of the Information Revolution and Computopia: Mid-1960s to 1980 -- 11.4 Conclusion: Computers and the Reassembling of Postwar Japan

12 Computopia and Its Discontents : Dual Narratives in South Korea -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 The Computer: Adopted for Economic Planning, Received as an Electronic Brain -- 12.2.1 Introduction of Computing Technologies and the KIST Computer Center -- 12.2.2 Much Higher-speed Calculation than Abacus -- 12.2.3 Awe and Wonder: Electronic Brain or All-purpose Machine -- 12.3 Information Society in the Middle of Industrialization -- 12.3.1 Computopia, or What the Information Society Will Look Like -- 12.3.2 A Postindustrial Information Society amid Industrialization? -- 12.3.3 Myths and Errors in Computopia -- 12.3.4 Fear of Surveillance -- 12.4 Conclusion

13 Big Brother in New Zealand: Anticipating the Computer -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 The Computing Environment in New Zealand -- 13.3 The New Zealand Computer Society -- 13.4 Freedom or Control? -- 13.5 A Life of Leisure or Lack of Work? -- 13.6 Education for the New World -- 13.7 Big Brother, Keeping Us Safe or Invading Our Privacy? -- 13.8 Conclusion

14 Conclusions: Patterns of Prophecy-Needs, Ambitions, and Doubts -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 National Projects, "Development," and "Modernization" -- 14.3 "Development," "Modernization": Theory and Ideology -- 14.4 Dark Prospects -- 14.4.1 Automation and Labor -- 14.4.2 The New Technocrats -- 14.4.3 Population Registration and Privacy -- 14.5 Determinism?

Bibliography

Authors' Biographies -- Prophets Contributors

Index

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