[Air-L] History of 'Home' in internet browsers

Sun May 6 10:28:23 PDT 2012

You also might want to check out Steven Johnson's Interface Culture.
There is a specific chapter on the development of the computer UI and
the desktop metaphor...

On Sun, May 6, 2012 at 11:46 AM, Mattia Miani <katanankes at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Sorry If I cannot directly answer your question, but I like to share an idea that can widen the context of the problem.
>
> I have always found that the use of spatial metaphors in organizing web content (especially early web content, a look at the early freenets, like the Cleveland freenet, provides a good feeling) may actually be linked to a deep-seated and long-running tradition in the Western thought: I am referring to the rhetorical theory of "loci" (places). "Memoria" (memory) was one of the five parts of classic rhetoric and classic readings such as Rhetorica ad Herennium, Cicero's De Oratore or later Quintilianus' systematic work all explicitly suggest spatial metaphor as a way to easily organize and memorize information. As Frances Yates' book The Art of Memory shows this tradition never died and has permeated many subsequent attempts to organize information in the history of ideas.
>
> I believe many early ideas in the definition of computer interfaces, such as the term "home", resonates this ancient tradition.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mattia Miani
> Manager of Enterprise and Executive Education
> RMIT International University, Vietnam
>
> --- On Sun, 5/6/12, Radhika Gajjala <cyborgwati at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Radhika Gajjala <cyborgwati at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Air-L] History of 'Home' in internet browsers
>> To: "Radhika Gajjala" <radhika at cyberdiva.org>
>> Cc: "aoir list" <air-l at aoir.org>
>> Date: Sunday, May 6, 2012, 9:13 AM
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Thanks to Sue for reminding us of how much we now take for
>> granted!
>>
>> How much do you think the idea of having a "home" (spatial
>> metaphor -
>> placing and locating dis-[em]-bodies ) is based on practices
>> from earlier
>> social networking environments such as MOOs and MUDs where
>> we built our
>> homes - and what offline practices (situated/particular
>> group cultures) do
>> they privilege
>>
>> On Sun, May 6, 2012 at 11:50 AM, Marianne van den Boomen
>> <
>> M.V.T.vandenBoomen at uu.nl>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi Sue,
>> >
>> > Intriquing question! I remember working with Mosaic and
>> Cello back in
>> > 1994, and they both already had a home button (an
>> online check for
>> > screenshots affirms this). As far as I can see Tim
>> Berners-Lees first
>> > browser in 1991 did not have a home button (see http://info.cern.ch/**
>> > NextBrowser.html <http://info.cern.ch/NextBrowser.html>) neither did
>> the
>> > 1993 version (see here http://info.cern.ch/**NextBrowser1.html<http://info.cern.ch/NextBrowser1.html>)
>> > Yet, the screenshot does show a page called My homepage
>> (in the title bar
>> > called: Tim's home page).
>> > May be the home of the home button is just Tim's home
>> page? ;-)
>> >
>> > kind regards
>> >
>> > Marianne van den Boomen
>> >
>> >
>> > On 6-5-12 11:46, Sue Thomas wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I wonder if anyone can help?  I'm trying to
>> track down when and why it
>> >> was decided to use the term 'Home' and its
>> accompanying icon in web
>> >> browser design. Does anyone have any information on
>> that?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> We have got so used to it that it's almost
>> invisible in our
>> >> consciousness, but Home is not default in every
>> part of the world. In
>> >> the Middle East for example, that function is
>> called the Main Page, not
>> >> the Home Page. I'm thinking that 'home' is probably
>> an American concept
>> >> in this context.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I'd also like to collect more equivalencies from
>> non-English speaking
>> >> countries, so please do get in touch if your
>> country's browser features
>> >> something other than 'home'.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I'd be most grateful for your thoughts on the
>> above. Please reply
>> >> backchannel to sue.thomas at dmu.ac.uk
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Many thanks
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Sue
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> _________
>> >>
>> >> Sue Thomas
>> >> Research Professor of New Media
>> >>
>> >> IOCT/Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities
>> >> Clephan 1.01d, De Montfort University, The Gateway,
>> Leicester LE1 9BH,
>> >> UK  +44 (0)116 207 8266
>> >>
>> >> w: http://www.technobiophilia.com**<http://www.technobiophilia.**com/<http://www.technobiophilia.com/>
>> >> >
>> >> Technobiophilia: Nature and Cyberspace
>> >> e: sue.thomas at dmu.ac.uk<mailto:su**e.thomas at dmu.ac.uk<sue.thomas at dmu.ac.uk>
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> t: @suethomas<http://www.twitter.**com/suethomas<http://www.twitter.com/suethomas>
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> g: +suethomas<https://plus.**google.com/**110733806086330324299/<https://plus.google.com/110733806086330324299/>
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> ______________________________**_________________
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>> Researchers http://aoir.org
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>> >>
>> >> Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
>> >> http://www.aoir.org/
>> >>
>> >>
>> > --
>> >
>> >
>> > met vriendelijke groeten,
>> >
>> > Marianne van den Boomen
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Media and Culture Studies | University Utrecht
>> > Office: Kromme Nieuwegracht 20 (room T2.13A)
>> > Mail: Muntstraat 2a | 3512 EV UTRECHT
>> > Phone: +31 (0)30 253 9607
>> > M.V.T.vandenBoomen at uu.nl
>> | www.hum.uu.nl
>> > www.newmediastudies.nl | www.vandenboomen.org
>> >
>> > ______________________________**_________________
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>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Radhika Gajjala
>> Director, American Culture Studies
>> Professor of Communication Studies and Cultural Studies
>> 101 East Hall
>> Bowling Green State University
>> Bowling Green, OH  43403
>>
>> http://personal.bgsu.edu/~radhik
>> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Thanks,

Burcu S. Bakioglu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow in New Media
Lawrence University

http://www.palefirer.com
http://palefirer.com/blog/

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