There are numerous works across many different new media that are important.
To try to argue for just a few is only to discount the value of so many
other equally worthwhile contributions.
Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. I didn't mean to suggest that the
world should focus on only a few - but rather that each of us has an
individual history of work that has influenced us, and I'd be
interested to hear some of what has influenced individuals on the
empyre list.
Personally, I think my first interactive media experience was with
Hunt The Wumpus, my first solo programming experience was with an
Apple II, the first software I purchased was from Infocom, and the
first book that strongly influenced me in this area was Ted Nelson's
_Computer Lib / Dream Machines_. As you can see, it's a list firmly
rooted in the home computer era, and I think I developed a notion of
new media that had work done on personal computers - or networked
terminals - at its core. Only later, when I was exposed to the wider
new media community, did I begin to have a better grasp of new media
in other contexts (e.g., performance, ubiquitous computing).
I will certainly understand if others on the list aren't interested
in this sort of discussion, but I thought I should clarify, given
that I seem to have given Simon the wrong impression.