Explanations [Transcription of Video]
Question from Audience: Why do you think it has been so difficult to implement your designs over the years, or even when you have been working closely with people? You say one or two systems got implemented. Has it been a conceptual discontinuity, or do you think there is some more fundamental issue?Nelson: Well, obviously there is a huge meaculpia there that just has to do with my personality. I have always had a very strong case of the Orsonic disease, and wanting to do it all myself, and not very much interested in other people's ideas. Of course, that is hardly unique. I mean, I think that the computer world understands that this is the way most things are achieved in our field -- by being rather bull-headed. But, yes, I have offended a lot of people, and been unable to communicate these visions.
Obviously, the point is that you are up to speed, and I have come several layers further. But can you imagine trying to lay that list of words on an audience during the 1970s? There was just no way. There were too many concepts packed, and, being a big picture kind of guy and very impatient, I had no way of cutting it down into small tasks. That is why I really admire someone like Tim Berners-Lee. He was able to take the Xanadu hypertext concept -- as I understand it, he started with my book Literary Machines -- and cut it down to something. Essentially, he spoiled my beautiful idea, but made something that everybody could use, then Marc Andreessen came along and spoiled his beautiful idea. But in the meantime, yeah, I think this is all good stuff, but, probably, it is all my fault.