From Ted Nelson, Computer Lib/Dream Machines, (Mindful Press, 1974) [note: some phrases have been converted to WikiWords]:
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- "[...] before people could write things down, men could only learn what they experienced or were told by others in person; writing changed all that. Within the computer-screen fraternity, the next step is obvious; screens can double and redouble our intellectual capacities. But this is not obvious to everybody. DougEngelbart, patiently instructing those outside [Stanford Research Institute], came up with a beautiful example. To show what he meant by the AugmentationOfIntellect?, DougEngelbart tied a pencil to a brick. Then he actually made someone write with it. The result, which was of course dreadful, DougEngelbart solemnly put into a published report. Not yet being able to demonstrate the AugmentationOfIntellect?, since he had as yet no system to show off, he had masterfully demonstrated the DisaugmentationOfIntellect?: what happens if you make man's tools for working out his thoughts worse instead of better. As this poor guy was with his brickified pencil, explained DougEngelbart, so are we all among our bothersome, inflexible systems of paper."
EwDijkstra had a favorite saying that could be paraphrased: "Our tools not only limit what we can do, but what we can think about doing." -- BobBockholt
The sheer irony of this story is that one of the criticisms of the mouse as an input device is that it's "like drawing with a brick", which is why graphics tablets are so popular amongst artists, and also draftsmen using CADD applications. -- JeffRead
There's nothing ironic about it; Englebart discovered that brickified pencils dis-augmented human intellect, analyzed that, found that the form factor was good but the weight was bad, and proceeded to invent the lightweight brick for drawing: the mouse. :-) -- DougMerritt
Brickified Pencil