Ghost in the Machine

The phrase, “ghost in the machine,” was coined by 20th century British philosopher, as a means of characterizing 17th century mathematician and philosopher, theory of mind. Descartes theory was an offshoot of the age-old dualism theories that dated back to and . His theory—referred to as —distilled dualism into today’s mind-body theories, wherein “consciousness and self-awareness” were mind, and brain was “intelligence.” Descartes further went on to propose that the seat of the soul was the pineal gland.

After the Hype

Today, there is a new "old" buzzword: . By definition, it involves using "software" to engage in "social" activities. Of course, the idea of technology-based networking is not new and has appeared in various forms since the mid-1970s. And even earlier, depending upon your definition of technology based networking. Ever hear of (1945)? Or for that matter (1909)? It was not until the 1980s however that technology-based networking began making inroads with the public at large and was redefined within the spectrum of social software. And this was not for lack of interest, rather that doing so was largely cost prohibitive, from both the price of the equipment and the "" fee.