Historiographica

This document discusses the history of visual information and the idea that the "information age" is a myth. It notes that many so-called new ideas have origins in earlier eras. For example, the concept of hypertext can be traced back to thinkers in the 1700s and 1800s like Leibniz, Nelson, and Engelbart. It also discusses important developments in the early 20th century that laid foundations for today's interconnected world, such as Babbage's programmable computers, electrical grids, and Paul Otlet's vision of a "radiated library" using media like film, radio and television to spread ideas. The document questions whether failing to properly document this real history may lead to repeating past