Do software-generated "connections" really generate inspiration?

Posted by Frederick Wahl
Oct 26, 2007 at 07:49 PM

>> Certainly we all have had the experience of reading something or hearing something which, along with our previous thoughts, resulted in an inspiration. But has anyone really had an inspiration as a result of a software-generated connection? <

> Storing information in a conveniently accessible and manipulable form is worthwhile, and some software helps us do this. <<

Be it a book, webpage, forum, or software filter - regardless of the source, it is the person receiving and manipulating the information that has the “inspiration” which leads to further action.

One of the greatest skills I learned in school was computer programming. The study of algorithms, use of data structures, the debugging process, are all vital skills to have when thinking or problem solving - skills that lead to “inspiration”. Until the day we have a “Colossus” (as in the Forbin Project), our minds will be the greatest tool.