Text and Hubris

The real question is, do we direct technology, or do we let ourselves be directed by it and those who have mastered it? “Choose the former,” writes Rushkoff, “and you gain access to the control panel of civilization. Choose the latter, and it could be the last real choice you get to make.”

Rushkoff’s book is available in e-book, paperback or in an e-book/paperback bundle from OR Books. It will be released on September 29th.

 

Posted via email from Snippets of Text and Hubris

I often realize after a rant that it may seem like I am advocating an active
withdrawal from the scene. While I do think much what Huxely wrote in
Brave New World is scarily apparent today, I do not advocate a
surrender of the space. Instead, I advocate a stronger pursuit of the space.
My pessimism aside, there is still a vast amount of creative opportunity
within technology and digital media.

Explore , challenge, create, do whatever you can to make something. Take the
space back or, at the very least, make your small section of it interesting.

As for the rest, maybe people will find something that grabs their fancy.
This isn’t about saving the world. I know I stopped wanting to do that years
ago. Now, I am interested in helping those I can. As for the world, well,
I’m just hoping it holds up until we actually learn a bit more.

Posted via email from Snippets of Text and Hubris

I think my pessimistic side is showing today or maybe I have read one too
many article predicting a future that I have to say sounds absolutely vile
but all too likely. As if to reinforce that great likelihood, there is an interesting article on
ReadWriteWeb about the prevalence of the feed over profile pages or, really,
static content in general. We all supposedly live in the feed. I suppose this is true. After all, I will post this and it will fly through
multiple sites where some of you will stop an read while others just move
on. In a day or two, it will fade away and that will be it. This is the
essence of the inconsistency that is virtual life. Everything we say is
recorded but no one really cares to look.

As the article notes a rolling stone gathers no moss to which I would add
that it is also a horrible basis for a foundation. The author does mourn the
loss but even acknowledges that his view is in the minority.
Content…substance…those things really don’t seem to matter anymore.

I’m not really sure where to go with this. In fact, I’m not sure where it
puts any of us. I feel sometimes that we have been given an incredible tool.
We have an architecture that should inspire us to create and build and write
and instead we scribble across it like diseased apes who are still trapped
in their own little caves. I read posts and comments by people talking about
this technology and that technology will change things and yet all I see is
a hell of a lot of rehashing of things that already were. Wow, you can make
a gadget that allows me to read formatted text, that is exactly what I need
but only if I can play videos games on it that, for all intents and
purposes, are identical to the ones I played 20 years ago. This supposed to
impress me? Or I am just supposed to say, “OOOOo…shiny…” and buy more
crap?

Now I am told the era of the PC is coming to an end. People don’t need
computers anymore. The truth is, most of them never did, and that is a
tragedy. Most of them only needed a modified television and a smartphone
provides them with just that. They can log on to Facebook and read the feed,
wander around and gaze at the pretty colors while being sold every product
imaginable and then settle in for some good old media delivered, just as
always was, straight from those who know exactly what you need to see. After
all why does a Gamma or a Delta need more than that? We should all smile and
be happy. Take another soma and forget all about this.

I think I may be needing another hit myself. Links:
Facebook Profile Pages Becoming Irrelevant [ReadWriteWeb]:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_profile_pages_becoming_irrelev

Posted via email from Snippets of Text and Hubris

This is my last comment on this for now.

Really.. (I hope)

I just finished reading Ryan Singel’s commentary on the Google-Verizon deal. Apparently, Google is an evil sell-out now. This is amusing because this has to make the assumption that Google was not an evil sell-out before which is, of course, ludicrous. Google is a large corporation and it has sold out numerous times in a variety of ways. So let’s start with this little tidbit of cold hard truth: there are no good guys and bad guys when it comes to corporations. Every one of them wants as much of your money as they can get. They just have different ways of getting it.

Now I know that those poor companies like Netflix and Hulu may be in trouble. Wait a minute here, isn’t 30% of Hulu owned by NBC Universal, a company in which Comcast will soon have a 51% stake? Isn’t Hulu already charging a monthly fee and still showing ads to its users? Yep, I mourn for Hulu. Now, Netflix, I use. I like the service, I like the content and so far that pleases me. I pay for it and I don’t watch ads (well except for those films which are ads but that’s not the point here). It’s a win-win. Let’s be honest here, though. I am not going to cry if Netflix goes away. I think that’s what really got to me in Singel’s article. You want me to feel bad because other companies are being screwed. Why? That’s how it works. You know who I worry about? I worry about the user who wants to share data with other users. I worry about shared traffic being forced to a slow crawl. I don’t care if I can’t watch Toy Story 3D streaming to my TV screen. Talk about missing the boat here.

I care about educational access for users in other countries where telecoms have no plans to implement anything near decent bandwidth because the investment supposedly isn’t worth it. I care about equal access and not being forced to go to Youtube or some telecom site to share data. I care about accessing and protecting my own systems and cloud-based platforms that protect the user not make them fodder for the next marketing scheme. I also believe in owning the hardware and software that I buy. One area where I do agree with Singel is on cell phones and the idiocy of telecom crippling. Of course, that problem only exists because we buy it. I want to see an end to telecom sponsored phones. It’ an idea bred from that 70’s bullshit where you essentially rented your phone from Ma Bell. There is a solution, though. Start paying full price or stop buying (I know, scary concept isn’t it?).

I know it’s not popular to say but this framework is a positive step. As I said yesterday, it’s positive not because it’s a good idea but because it is something we can look at and think about in real terms. It also reminds us that corporations aren’t on the side of the people. They never are.  I like Google’s products. I use a lot of them and I respect the incredible talent they have working for them. I don’t want them making government policy, though. As for Verizon, AT&T, and pretty every other telecom out there, I want them kept as far away as possible from being able to influence government policy. Is Google a sellout? Sure, but not because of this. They’re doing the best they can to protect their business. That is all you can expect from them. Stop making the corporation your hero and start focusing on pushing real policy. Yeah, it’s an uphill battle we may (and probably will) lose because they have bought a lot of the people we elected.

That just means we have to fight even harder. So donate, get active, join the EFF or another organization that is focused on this topic. Contact your representative, and start looking at technological projects that exist to help and promote connectivity and open access. Support them with time, skill, and money if you can. That’s how these fights are won. You can’t look up and say, “Google will save us.” They can’t and they won’t. That duty is up to the people. It’s up to us.

Links:

Singel’s article [Wired.com – Epicenter]:  http://bit.ly/ad9aUq

EFF’s balanced and productive review of the Framework [eff.org]: http://bit.ly/biR9a8

EFF: http://www.eff.org/

Posted via email from Snippets of Text and Hubris