Computers are all around us, and for most of us, it has always been that way. But let’s travel back in time to a different era, to a completely different generation, to the birth of the first integrated circuit. The time is early 1960’s. The era of the computer was ushered in with the birth of the first commercially available silicon based Integrated Circuit, from the Fairchild Corporation. Presently, microprocessors (or integrated circuits) are cheap enough so that anyone can purchase them at a reasonable price. Back at

The next large leap in computing potential came in 1965. While some companies were developing bigger and faster machines, Digital Equipment Corporation introduced the PDP-8, the first, true, minicomputer. The PDP-8 had a minuscule instruction set and a primitive micro-language, but it had an excellent interface capability. Thus the PDP-8 became extensively used as a process control system, including interfacing to telephone lines for time-sharing systems. Socially the smaller size was a huge hit. This is ironic coming from a time when bigger was always better. Nonetheless, as size grew smaller, so did price, while availability soared, giving the power of such resources to the public. Other advancements, like interface and standardized control, added to the increasing ease, which vastly appealed to the desiring public. Numerous enthusiast groups had sprung up over the past years, and their numbers seemed to increase at a faster rate than advancements in computing technology. One such group, perhaps the most popular and well know group, is simply known as The Computer Group. The group consisted of varying types of members from all across the world. By December 1966 the Computer Group membership had reached 11,000, a growth of 10% during that year alone. Obviously, the computer frenzy had taken off. Computing became more standardized across many systems and platforms with the implementation of operating systems and the mass production of microprocessors. It seems that although the physical size was getting smaller, the access, therefore the social impact and social potential, was growing at a much higher rate. With a brief look at popular culture outside the enthusiast rings, we watch as Arthur C. Clark introduced HAL, the computer of the future in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey", “basing the design on the artificial intelligence proposals of I.J. Good (a member of Bletchley Park) and Marvin Minsky. Supposedly HAL was a monosyllabic cypher of IBM!”

The personal computer also brought about something unforeseen, entertainment. This revolution began in the 80’s with computer controlled arcade games, moving into the 90’s with home based console systems, and then into the mid 90’s with games designed for desktop PC’s. On a purely physical basis, you could see the shift in our culture. Children before the computing era could be found playing outside, with friends, as it was a very physical and social world. In the mid 80’s, arcades drew millions of teens inside, into their dim electronic playgrounds. The introduction of the console system in the late 80’s and early 90’s placed kids of all ages around the TV set in the living room, as they often played alone for hours. When games were finally mastered for the desktop PC, the cycle was complete. Children and adults of all ages were drawn to the soft glow of the computer monitor as they played in their own digital playgrounds. The rise of popularity of the internet brought about a different social impact, as social skills no longer were physical, rather they were digital. The internet allows millions to virtually connect across the world, unifying people as never before. With increased ease and simplicity of operation, becoming a part of the digital counterculture was possible for almost anyone. The internet replaced social events and restructured our social existence, even changed the way we speak. As it has been for millions of years, communication is key, and the internet was an eventual step in this evolutionary process. Computing has impacted each

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