first, define computing as using computers
this is a contemporary definition, and using computers is defined as being what we do with computers
in other words, not anything hypothetical, but our actual practice
our goal is to improve on the experience of doing one or another thing with computers
the list of things we do with computers is of indefinite length
nevertheless, there are some things we do with computers a lot
and others which we do with computers less often
as a basis for assigning priorities, this is has an arbitrary quality
while, at the same time, it might point to some things which are fundamental.
taking that as being neither here nor there
if we point to things we do a lot
we are identifying, in a somewhat definite way
certain things we do with computers
and it so happens
without necessarily asserting that this is for one or another particular reason
notwithstanding that the coincidence of concerns might be indicative of a reason or combination of reasons
that the experience we seek to enhance
as we write of this
is that of doing those things which we appear to do most
prominent among which, we posit
is what we could call creating, transmitting, storing, and reviewing pages
the page being a kind of construct
we could call this a domain
we could call it a domain of activity
within which we spend a great deal of time
and we could say, perhaps as a matter of opinion, but with some hope of finding that this opinion is fairly widespread, that, in this domain there is considerable confusion
which we could in turn describe as being a state of affairs
and one which could, in the abstract, be improved upon
and if confusion is a state of affairs
and one which, perhaps by definition, could be improved upon
we could argue that improvement would mean a transformation of one state of affairs into a different state of affairs, say, orderliness
we are presented with a state of affairs which we wish to transform
a state of affairs which is problematic
so we could look into the structure of the prevailing state for clues regarding the origins of its problematic nature
does the problematic nature of the prevailing state of affairs originate in, for example, the creation of pages? in the transmission of pages? in the storing of pages? in the reviewing of pages? or in the pages construct itself?
it is fairly apparent that, first, these problems are interrelated, and, second, that the key problem is that of reviewing pages.
in defense of this assertion, first, let us assert that the creation of page, the transmission of pages, and the storing of pages, are all fairly straightforward tasks, in the current state of affairs. it might be beneficial to adjust our approach to these problems in certain ways, but this set of problems could be called somewhat peripheral.
next, we can look at the page itself, as a construct, and ask whether it is itself problematic, but it seems easy enough to argue that, being essentially orderly and easily defined, rather than being problematic, in our pursuit of orderliness, it is probably very useful.
we are left, then, according to this line of reasoning, with the problem of review being the core problem, and the origin of the confusion which, we would tend to argue, dominates, or at any rate characterizes, the domain of ... what? pages?
we arrive at a kind of diagram, in which the problem is that of reviewing pages, and the solution lies in the construct of pages itself, and then the problems of creation, transmission, and storage of pages radiate off of the page construct as ancillary domains.
