On 17 May 2004 16:41:11 -0700, (D. A. Clark)
wrote:

the working of wood is one of our base technologies. like weaving,
cooking food and making maps it is something that must be developed in
order to build a complex civilization. why do we do that? beats me,
but we sure do...

Collectively, we do so as a civilization, but real progress is
individual effort, wouldn't you agree?


9of course individuals will want to claim credit for what they do, but
none live in a vacuum. technology is cumulative, and when it reaches
critical mass type threshholds it makes quantum leaps. the individuals
involved are *almost* irrelevant.