The ongoing battle between free individuals and our moribund institutions for the control of information resources, information technology and information systems began with the sexual gods. The chief god Atum, controller of Cosmos, declared sex ungodly and messy, outcomes unpredictable. A sexless god, Atum, though supreme, was unable to control Ra, Thoth, and the seven other sexual gods. With Atumic frustration Atum confined the sexual gods to the Solar System, but with a dire warning: if their activities destabilized the Cosmos they would feel the full force of Atumic wrath. Sibling squabbles between Ra and Thoth spawned endless conflict. Fear for their godly survival forced Ra and Thoth to confine their fight to the Earthly environment. One outcome: Homo Saps, a unique species combining Thought-processing with godlike features and hominid-animal sexuality. Both Ra and Thoth used Homo Saps as foot soldiers. Thoth invented Information Technology/Information System or ITIS (pronounced eye-tis) tools as weapons to help them free themselves from Ras inhibiting controls. Homo Saps used the ITIS tools in establishing, controlling and stabilizing the first Earthly civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ancient India, and Ancient China at the direction of the gods. Homo Saps increasing skills with the ITIS tools allowed them to develop independent Thought processing and break free of godly controls. The Ancient Greek Homo Sap Aristotle and his philosopher predecessors captured the moment by developing their own ITIS applications and demonstrated Homo Saps Thought processing freedoms. They developed the first user-friendly ITIS tool that would change their Earthly reality forever: the 22-letter alphabet. Dear Jim: Our History of IT IS traces the development of the ITIS tools Oral ITIS, Image ITIS, Calendar ITIS, Writing ITIS, and Alphabet ITIS and their impact on civilizations before the death of Aristotle.
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John Barber entered the ancient information technology and information systems business as a merchant marine radio officer. He travelled the world, crossed all five geographical circles, and then decided to obtain a couple of university degrees: a bachelor’s in Applied Science and a master’s in Communications. Since then, mostly as a freelance, he has immersed himself in the modern information technology and information systems business, mostly in Systems Analysis and information storage and retrieval systems. He has taught distance learning and on-line courses in Information Technology for B.C. Open University and presently tutors an on-line course in Information Technology for Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning Division. He is a grandfather and libertarian.