Thomas S. Mullaney, "The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age" (MIT Press, 2024)
Mar 29, 2024
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Author Thomas S. Mullaney delves into the challenges of inputting Chinese characters on standard keyboards, revealing the revolutionary hypography. The podcast explores the evolution of Chinese language computing technology post-WWII, showcasing the brilliant minds behind electronic Chinese input methods. From IBM to MIT, the CIA to the Taiwanese military, the unexpected influences on Chinese computing are unveiled. Mullaney traces the impact of Chinese computing on language evolution and digital inclusion, reflecting on unconventional productivity strategies in research pursuits.
The evolution of Chinese typing technology introduced features like early auto-completion, setting the foundation for future developments in Chinese computing.
The introduction of the cyanotype computer paved the way for more user-friendly interfaces by intelligently predicting and simplifying character inputs.
The IPX machine by Idiograph revolutionized tasks like newspaper publishing and tax return processing, impacting various industries with advancements in computational systems.
Innovators aimed to create a user-friendly keyboard for Chinese users, aligning with achieving a 'what you type is what you get' experience similar to Anglophone counterparts.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Chinese Typing Technology
The podcast discusses the evolution of Chinese typing technology, covering key inventions like the IBM electric Chinese typewriter and the cyanotype computer in the 1940s and 1950s, respectively. These early machines required memorizing codes for thousands of characters and introduced features like early auto-completion, setting the foundation for future developments in Chinese computing.
Predictive Text and Improved User Experience
The introduction of the cyanotype computer revealed unintentional advancements, like early auto-completion, resembling modern predictive text features. This innovation enhanced the user experience by intelligently predicting and simplifying character inputs, paving the way for more user-friendly Chinese computing interfaces.
Impact of the IPX Machine and Chen Ye
The IPX machine by Idiograph in the 1970s marked a turning point in Chinese computing, revolutionizing tasks like newspaper publishing and tax return processing. Innovators like Chen Ye spearheaded this technological transformation, significantly impacting various industries with advancements in computational systems and character generation.
Resurgence of the Cordy Style Keyboard
After a period of rejecting the Cordy keyboard in favor of alternative Chinese input methods, the late 1970s saw a resurgence of its usage in Chinese typing technology. Innovators aimed to create a user-friendly keyboard for Chinese users, aligning with the goal of achieving a 'what you type is what you get' experience similar to Anglophone counterparts.
Exploration of Alternative Keyboards
Engineers worldwide are embarking on experiments to revolutionize human-computer interaction by moving away from the traditional QWERTY keyboard design. Innovations like the IPX system in Taiwan and various experiments in China showcase a paradigm shift. These endeavors aim to rethink the interaction between users and computers fundamentally.
Transition to Phonetic Input Systems
The podcast delves into the transition from structure-based input methods to phonetic systems like Hanyu pinyin for Chinese computing. While formerly shunned as inadequate, phonetic systems have gained dominance. This shift aligns Chinese computing with standardized language pronunciation, marking a significant nationalistic and democratizing impact on Chinese language interaction.
Evolution of Writing in the Digital Age
The discussion extends to the evolving landscape of language conservation and exclusion in the digital era. The advancement from exclusive typewriter limitations to vast digital possibilities reflects a progressive trend. The incorporation of rare characters and the reshaping of language dynamics signify a pivotal shift towards inclusivity and reshaped language evolution.
The fascinating, untold story of how the Chinese language overcame unparalleled challenges and revolutionized the world of computing. A standard QWERTY keyboard has a few dozen keys. How can Chinese—a language with tens of thousands of characters and no alphabet—be input on such a device?
In The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age (MIT Press, 2024), Thomas Mullaney sets out to resolve this paradox, and in doing so, discovers that the key to this seemingly impossible riddle has given rise to a new epoch in the history of writing—a form of writing he calls “hypography.” Based on fifteen years of research, this pathbreaking history of the Chinese language charts the beginnings of electronic Chinese technology in the wake of World War II up through to its many iterations in the present day. Mullaney takes the reader back through the history and evolution of Chinese language computing technology, showing the development of electronic Chinese input methods—software programs that enable Chinese characters to be produced using alphanumeric symbols—and the profound impact they have had on the way Chinese is written. Along the way, Mullaney introduces a cast of brilliant and eccentric personalities drawn from the ranks of IBM, MIT, the CIA, the Pentagon, the Taiwanese military, and the highest rungs of mainland Chinese establishment, to name a few, and the unexpected roles they played in developing Chinese language computing. Finally, he shows how China and the non-Western world—because of the hypographic technologies they had to invent in order to join the personal computing revolution—“saved” the Western computer from its deep biases, enabling it to achieve a meaningful presence in markets outside of the Americas and Europe. An eminently engaging and artfully told history, The Chinese Computer is a must-read for anyone interested in how culture informs computing and how computing, in turn, shapes culture.
Thomas S. Mullaney is Professor of Chinese History at Stanford University and a Guggenheim Fellow.
Caleb Zakarin is Editor at the New Books Network.
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