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Telepresence and telecommuting is a big one. The energy savings that could be realized are staggering, and it's so far probably one of the Internet's greatest f
by api 11y ago
Telepresence and telecommuting is a big one. The energy savings that could be realized are staggering, and it's so far probably one of the Internet's greatest failed promises.
The Internet was supposed to break the tyranny of place, reducing not only the need for constant energy-guzzling commutes but also reducing the need to cluster in overpriced 'centers' like... well... Silicon Valley and San Francisco for example.
The reality almost seems opposite. The Internet seems to have intensified geo-centralization of industries, with the Internet itself being chief among these. The fact that the whole tech industry must huddle in the Bay Area is a clear demonstration of this failure-- these are the people who are best at using the net, and they can't use it this way.
So yeah, this is a big one and is a very worthy target.
- cableshaft 11y agoDoesn't help when many of the big tech companies -- that other companies are influenced by and model their cultural and corporate infrastructure on -- have decided they absolutely HAVE to have in person spontaneous communication because it might result in some random problem being solved or new idea that saves them millions of dollars, so no one can work remotely and they have to relocate to Silicon Valley or be fired. Yahoo and Facebook and Reddit are a few companies I've seen announcements of new policies that have shunned remote work in the past few years.