How Computing Became “Ubiquitous” and What That Means

Abstract

This chapter is going to start with something you already know: that computers are everywhere around us, involved in our lives in many seen and unseen ways. One word for that is at is “ubiquitous”. It’s a very popular word these days among those who discuss the interaction between humans and computers. Once you know the word, you see it everywhere.

I hope that you can also see that we are surrounded by computers that we use without thinking. I’m going to try to help you notice them and, later in this book, I’m going to try to help you make better, safer, more comfortable use of them.

If you can’t imagine what I mean, then please try to bear with me. The ubiquity of computers is measurably true, and should become obvious with only a little reflection. We’ll do that reflection together in this chapter. What might be less obvious will be discussed in the chapters that follow.