Letters: Jan. 26, 1998

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MAN OF THE YEAR

I always look forward to seeing your pick for Man of the Year [Dec. 29-Jan. 5], but I can't remember ever having such a good feeling about your selection. The story of Intel's Andrew Grove could easily be turned into a Spielberg movie about overcoming adversity and achieving the American Dream. Great choice! BOB JACOBSON Eden Prairie, Minn.

Why do so many people unquestioningly worship Grove's achievements? Sure, his personal history is thrilling, but what he and his fellow technopolists have done is speed up the world past the point of human comprehension. DAVID DRUMMOND Seattle

Your Man-of-the-Year winners have ranged from the patently inept (Wallis Warfield Simpson, 1936) to the truly inspired (Martin Luther King Jr., '63). As has happened many times before in this century, science has provided the stage and a worthy player has claimed a starring role. Grove clearly merits notice for his drive, intelligence and that most American element, luck. HARRY PUNCEC Lakewood, Colo.

Where but in America could the story of Grove's accomplishments have been written? This inspirational piece should be required reading for schoolchildren, committed pessimists and all who are looking for a hero or a role model. Only in America! RAY PANTUSO Doylestown, Pa.

You reported Grove's view that technology is not good or bad, it just happens. That may be a reflection of society, but I'm still naive enough to want heroes. I want leaders to proclaim that if used wisely, this technology can provide one of the seminal moments in human evolution. The printing press, radio and television all come to mind as precursors of this revolution. Perhaps Grove has made his goals clear simply in his involvement with Intel, but if he has a view that reaches beyond our limited horizons, how I wish he had shared it with us. EVAN RHODES Bay Point, Fla.

The microchip has changed the world, but do we know what the long-term consequences will be? Like the programming changes needed to adjust computers to the year 2000, unexpected difficulties lie ahead of us. As has been pointed out by anthropologists, the tools we use to shape the world shape us reciprocally. Computer programmers have not taken this into account. The results will be a modern Tower of Babel: an avalanche of improperly understood information producing increasingly serious errors, messed-up minds and even economic catastrophe. DAISY SWADESH Farmington, N.M.

You said every schoolchild should have a personal computer. I disagree. What is needed is access to and training in how to use a PC. For many, owning the hardware would only lead to more game playing. Access to computers before, during and after school hours, perhaps at public libraries or rec centers, would enrich children of every economic level and benefit society at large. But youngsters must learn how to use the hardware and software for learning and for doing research--not just for getting facts. Does this mean hardware alone won't do the job? Yep. Trained and dedicated teachers will once again be the key. DOLLY ZIEGLER Towson, Md.