INTRODUCTION


	 ␈ αThis ␈ αis ␈ αa ␈ αrequest ␈ αfor ␈ αa ␈ αgrant ␈ αof ␈ α$622,709 ␈ αto ␈ αenable ␈ αthe ␈ αStanford ␈ αUniversity ␈ αArtificial ␈ αIntelligence ␈ ↓Laboratory ␈ ↓to
carry ␈ ↓out ␈ ↓research ␈ ↓aimed ␈ ↓at ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓development ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓home ␈ ↓computer ␈ ↓terminals. ␈ ↓The ␈ ↓work ␈ ↓is ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓run ␈ ↓for ␈ ↓three years starting 1
July 1973.

	 ␈ ∧Even ␈ ∧before ␈ ∧the ␈ βidea ␈ βof ␈ βcomputer ␈ βtime-sharing ␈ βwas ␈ βworked ␈ βout, ␈ βmuch ␈ βless ␈ βactually ␈ βdeveloped, ␈ βthe ␈ βidea ␈ βof ␈ βthe
home ␈ βinformation ␈ βterminal ␈ βappeared. ␈ βSome ␈ βof ␈ βthe ␈ βideas ␈ βgo ␈ βback ␈ βto ␈ βVannevar ␈ βBush's ␈ β"As ␈ βWe ␈ αMay ␈ αThink" ␈ αand ␈ αsome ␈ αof
them ␈ αappeared ␈ αeven ␈ αearlier ␈ αin ␈ αscience ␈ αfiction. ␈ αThe ␈ αgeneral ␈ αidea ␈ αis ␈ αto ␈ αgive ␈ ↓everyone ␈ ↓immediate ␈ ↓access ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓both ␈ ↓permanent
and ␈ βtemporary ␈ βinformation, ␈ βto ␈ αcomputing ␈ αservices ␈ αfor ␈ αtransforming ␈ αthis ␈ αinformation, ␈ αand ␈ αto ␈ αcomputer ␈ αaid ␈ αin ␈ αinteracting
with ␈ πother ␈ πpeople ␈ πand ␈ πinstitutions. ␈ πExamples ␈ εcited ␈ εinclude ␈ εimmediate ␈ εaccess ␈ εto ␈ εthe ␈ εwhole ␈ εof ␈ εthe ␈ εworld's ␈ εliterature,
information ␈ αabout ␈ αwhat ␈ αis ␈ ↓for ␈ ↓sale ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓what ␈ ↓entertainment ␈ ↓is ␈ ↓available, ␈ ↓computer ␈ ↓aided ␈ ↓instruction ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓computer ␈ ↓aids ␈ ↓to
the ␈ ↓design ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓construction ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓individualized ␈ ↓furniture ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓clothes, ␈ ↓direct ␈ ↓access ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓airline and other reservation systems,
and ␈ αbuying ␈ αprograms ␈ αthat ␈ αwill ␈ αhelp ␈ αin ␈ αgetting ␈ αthe ␈ αbest ␈ αbuy. ␈ αA ␈ ↓rather ␈ ↓full ␈ ↓discussion ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓benefits ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓developed ␈ ↓home
terminal system is contained in a paper "Home Terminals" by John McCarthy reproduced as Appendix A to this proposal.

	 ␈ εThe ␈ εideas ␈ εdiscussed ␈ εin ␈ εthat ␈ εpaper ␈ εhave ␈ εone ␈ εcommon ␈ εtheme ␈ ε- ␈ εthe ␈ εuse ␈ εof ␈ εtechnology, ␈ εin ␈ ¬this ␈ ¬case ␈ ¬computer
technology, ␈ ∧to ␈ βenhance ␈ βthe ␈ βcapabilities ␈ βof ␈ βthe ␈ βindividual ␈ βand ␈ βstrengthen ␈ βhim ␈ βin ␈ βhis ␈ βdealings ␈ βwith ␈ βthe ␈ βinstitutions ␈ βof ␈ βour
society. We see this as coming about in the following ways all of which are discussed more fully in the paper:

	 ␈ ↓1. ␈ ↓Anyone ␈ ↓can ␈ ↓create ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓file ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓make ␈ ↓it ␈ ↓publicly ␈ ↓available, ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓this ␈ ↓constitutes ␈ ↓publication. ␈ ↓This ␈ ↓will ␈ ↓not ␈ ↓make all
publications equal, but it will certainly strengthen individuals and small groups relative to large institutions.

	 ␈ β2. ␈ βThe ␈ βcomputer ␈ βis ␈ βa ␈ βdevice ␈ βthat ␈ βconsiders ␈ βindividual ␈ βcases ␈ βcheaply. ␈ βTo ␈ αthe ␈ αextent ␈ αthat ␈ αprograms ␈ αand ␈ αprogram
controlled ␈ εdevices ␈ εare ␈ εavailable, ␈ εit ␈ εpermits ␈ εattention ␈ εto ␈ εan ␈ εindividual's ␈ ¬needs ␈ ¬at ␈ ¬costs ␈ ¬now ␈ ¬attainable ␈ ¬only ␈ ¬by ␈ ¬mass
production. This potentially applies to education, production, and even law.

	 ␈ αComputer ␈ αtechnology ␈ αis ␈ αnow ␈ αessentially ␈ αready ␈ αto ␈ αrealize ␈ αthe ␈ αhome ␈ ↓terminal, ␈ ↓but ␈ ↓there ␈ ↓are ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓number ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓obstacles
to ␈ αbe ␈ αovercome, ␈ αand ␈ αthe ␈ αproposed ␈ αresearch ␈ αis ␈ αintended ␈ αto ␈ αidentify ␈ ↓them ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓help ␈ ↓overcome ␈ ↓them. ␈ ↓Here ␈ ↓are ␈ ↓those ␈ ↓we ␈ ↓see
now:

	 ␈ β1. ␈ βThe ␈ βfirst ␈ βobstacle ␈ βis ␈ βthe ␈ βcost ␈ βof ␈ βthe ␈ βterminals, ␈ βcommunications, ␈ βtime-shared ␈ βcomputers, ␈ βand ␈ αbulk ␈ αinformation
storage ␈ αdevices. ␈ αIn ␈ αour ␈ αopinion, ␈ αhome ␈ αterminals ␈ αwill ␈ αhave ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓substantial ␈ ↓market ␈ ↓when ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓cost ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓terminal ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓nominal
services ␈ ∧comes ␈ ∧into ␈ ∧the ␈ βrange ␈ βof ␈ β$50 ␈ βto ␈ β$100 ␈ βper ␈ βmonth. ␈ βElectronics ␈ βcosts ␈ βare ␈ βreducing ␈ βat ␈ βa ␈ βrate ␈ βthat ␈ βwill ␈ βmake ␈ βthis
feasible ␈ αin ␈ αa ␈ αfew ␈ αyears, ␈ αand ␈ αwe ␈ αdo ␈ αnot ␈ αpropose ␈ αto ␈ αwork ␈ αon ␈ αthis ␈ αproblem ␈ αdirectly ␈ αin ␈ αthis ␈ αresearch. ␈ ↓In ␈ ↓fact, ␈ ↓we ␈ ↓expect ␈ ↓to
use quite flexible terminals which will therefore not be the cheapest available today.

	 ␈ α2. ␈ ↓The ␈ ↓full ␈ ↓development ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓above ␈ ↓facilities ␈ ↓requires ␈ ↓hundreds ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓thousands ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓man ␈ ↓years ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓programming ␈ ↓and
institutional ␈ ¬changes ␈ ¬in ␈ ¬our ␈ ¬society. ␈ ¬What ␈ ¬can ␈ ¬be ␈ ¬done ␈ ∧easily ␈ ∧may ␈ ∧not ␈ ∧be ␈ ∧useful ␈ ∧enough ␈ ∧to ␈ ∧justify ␈ ∧purchase ␈ ∧of ␈ ∧home
terminals ␈ αby ␈ ↓enough ␈ ↓people ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓make ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓viable ␈ ↓system. ␈ ↓We ␈ ↓have ␈ ↓already ␈ ↓put ␈ ↓much ␈ ↓thought ␈ ↓into ␈ ↓determining ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓dozen ␈ ↓or ␈ ↓so
applications ␈ ↓that ␈ ↓are ␈ ↓feasible ␈ ↓now ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓will ␈ ↓add ␈ ↓up ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓worthwhile ␈ ↓package. ␈ ↓We ␈ ↓will ␈ ↓name ␈ ↓some in this proposal, and we
hope to think of more.

	 ␈ α3. ␈ αHome ␈ αterminal ␈ αapplications ␈ αwill ␈ αmostly ␈ αbe ␈ ↓elaborate ␈ ↓programs ␈ ↓that ␈ ↓interact ␈ ↓with ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓user, ␈ ↓file ␈ ↓structures, ␈ ↓and
other ␈ ¬programs. ␈ ¬All ␈ ¬programs ␈ ¬with ␈ ¬these ␈ ¬characteristics ␈ ¬that ␈ ¬have ␈ ¬been ␈ ¬built ␈ ¬so ␈ ¬far ␈ ¬have ␈ ¬been ␈ ¬tightly ␈ ¬bound ␈ ¬to ␈ ∧the
languages, ␈ βtime-sharing ␈ βsystems, ␈ βand ␈ βhardware ␈ βof ␈ βthe ␈ βinstitutions ␈ βwhere ␈ βthey ␈ βwere ␈ βdeveloped, ␈ βand ␈ αtransplanting ␈ αthem
has ␈ ∧been ␈ ∧extremely ␈ ∧difficult. ␈ βOn ␈ βthe ␈ βother ␈ βhand, ␈ βit ␈ βis ␈ βvery ␈ βimportant ␈ βthat ␈ βhome ␈ βterminal ␈ βapplication ␈ βprograms ␈ βbecome
universally ␈ βavailable ␈ βas ␈ βsoon ␈ βas ␈ βthey ␈ βare ␈ βdeveloped. ␈ βWe ␈ βbelieve ␈ βthat ␈ βthe ␈ βkey ␈ βto ␈ αmaking ␈ αthis ␈ αpossible ␈ αtechnically ␈ αis ␈ αthe
identification ␈ λof ␈ λthe ␈ λbasic ␈ λsemantic ␈ λelements ␈ λof ␈ λinteractive ␈ λprograms ␈ πseparated ␈ πfrom ␈ πtheir ␈ πsyntactic ␈ πexpression ␈ πin
programming ␈ ∧languages ␈ ∧and ␈ ∧the ␈ ∧details ␈ ∧of ␈ ∧their ␈ ∧realization ␈ ∧on ␈ ∧particular ␈ ∧hardware. ␈ ∧We ␈ ∧propose ␈ ∧to ␈ βstudy ␈ βthese ␈ βissues
from the standpoint of computer science.

	 ␈ ¬Another ␈ ¬computer ␈ ¬science ␈ ¬issue ␈ ¬that ␈ ¬arises ␈ ¬is ␈ ¬making ␈ ¬the ␈ ¬programs ␈ ∧easily ␈ ∧usable ␈ ∧by ␈ ∧infrequent ␈ ∧users. ␈ ∧Many
present ␈ ↓programs ␈ ↓exhibit ␈ ↓what ␈ ↓might ␈ ↓be ␈ ↓called ␈ ↓the instrument flying difficulty. If you haven't used it for six hours in the
last ␈ αsix ␈ αmonths, ␈ αyou ␈ αare ␈ αno ␈ αlonger ␈ αqualified. ␈ αWe ␈ αbelieve ␈ αthat ␈ αit ␈ αis ␈ αpossible ␈ αto ␈ αdevelop ␈ αa ␈ αuniform ␈ αsystem ␈ αfor ␈ ↓all ␈ ↓kinds ␈ ↓of
programs that is reasonably self-documenting.


	 ␈ α4. ␈ αHome ␈ αterminal ␈ αservices ␈ αare ␈ αnot ␈ αa ␈ αnatural ␈ αmonopoly ␈ αand ␈ αit ␈ αis ␈ αimportant ␈ αto ␈ ↓allow ␈ ↓access ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓programs ␈ ↓that ␈ ↓are
not ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓property ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓time-sharing ␈ ↓service bureaus that provide the computation and also to allow a user to connect his
terminal ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓whatever ␈ ↓computer ␈ ↓seems ␈ ↓best ␈ ↓to ␈ ↓him at the time. (We emphasize this point, because some advocates of home
information ␈ βservices ␈ βvia ␈ βCATV ␈ βseem ␈ βto ␈ βpropose ␈ βsystems ␈ βin ␈ βwhich ␈ βthe ␈ βinformation ␈ βservices ␈ βwould ␈ βbe ␈ αmonopolies ␈ αof ␈ αthe
local ␈ ↓CATV ␈ ↓companies.) ␈ ↓We ␈ ↓propose ␈ ↓to put a small effort into working out the most desirable way of institutionalizing the
provision of home terminal service.

	 ␈ ↓In ␈ ↓support ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓these ␈ ↓goals, ␈ ↓we ␈ ↓propose ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓following activities which will be described in more detail in subsequent
sections of the proposal:

	 ␈ ∧1. ␈ ∧We ␈ ∧will ␈ ∧acquire ␈ ∧a ␈ ∧number ␈ ∧of ␈ ∧remote ␈ ∧display ␈ ∧terminals ␈ ∧and ␈ ∧attach ␈ ∧them ␈ ∧to ␈ ∧the ␈ ∧PDP-10 ␈ βbased ␈ βtime-sharing
system ␈ αof ␈ αthe ␈ αStanford ␈ αArtificial ␈ αIntelligence ␈ αLaboratory. ␈ αSome ␈ αwill ␈ αbe ␈ αlocated ␈ αin ␈ αthe ␈ ↓homes ␈ ↓of ␈ ↓suitable ␈ ↓users ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓others
will ␈ αbe ␈ ↓located ␈ ↓in ␈ ↓public ␈ ↓places ␈ ↓on ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓Stanford ␈ ↓campus. ␈ ↓(Public ␈ ↓terminals ␈ ↓will ␈ ↓be ␈ ↓more ␈ ↓effective ␈ ↓than ␈ ↓home ␈ ↓terminals ␈ ↓for
some experiments).

	 ␈ β2. ␈ βWe ␈ βwill ␈ βdevelop ␈ βa ␈ βpackage ␈ βof ␈ βapplications, ␈ βmake ␈ βthem ␈ βavailable, ␈ αmeasure ␈ αtheir ␈ αuse, ␈ αand ␈ αask ␈ αwhat ␈ αthe ␈ αusers
think of them.

	 ␈ α3. ␈ αWe ␈ αwill ␈ αstudy ␈ αthe ␈ αcomputer ␈ αscience ␈ ↓problems ␈ ↓involved ␈ ↓in ␈ ↓developing ␈ ↓these ␈ ↓highly ␈ ↓interactive ␈ ↓programs ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓in
making them transportable.

	 ␈ α4. ␈ αWe ␈ αwill ␈ αstudy ␈ αthe ␈ αproblem ␈ αof ␈ αmaking ␈ αapplication ␈ αprograms ␈ αthat ␈ αare ␈ αusable ␈ αin ␈ ↓a ␈ ↓uniform ␈ ↓and ␈ ↓easily ␈ ↓learnable
way and are unobtrusively self-documenting.


	 ␈ ¬In ␈ ¬all ␈ ¬this, ␈ ∧our ␈ ∧emphasis ␈ ∧will ␈ ∧be ␈ ∧on ␈ ∧the ␈ ∧application ␈ ∧programs ␈ ∧rather ␈ ∧than ␈ ∧on ␈ ∧the ␈ ∧terminal, ␈ ∧communication, ␈ ∧or
computer ␈ ↓hardware ␈ ↓or ␈ ↓the ␈ ↓time-sharing ␈ ↓operating ␈ ↓system ␈ ↓itself. ␈ ↓In ␈ ↓all these areas we will rely on existing facilities first,
off-the-shelf purchasable facilities second, and home grown ad hoc solutions only when necessary.

	 ␈ ↓It ␈ ↓is ␈ ↓necessary to recognize that this is a new area of computer science and engineering and that it will take time
to develop real professionals. We hope that graduate students will find this a fruitful area for their initial scientific work.