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What's interesting to me is that governments are becoming less and less important in society. With Google, Facebook, Uber, and Bitcoin, we're moving closer and
by brndnmtthws 9y ago
What's interesting to me is that governments are becoming less and less important in society. With Google, Facebook, Uber, and Bitcoin, we're moving closer and closer to a world where human-based systems (government) are being supplanted by computer based systems (technology).
I for one believe this can be a good thing, since humans corrupt but computers are strictly deterministic.
- maxxxxx 9y agoThe rules for the computers are still made by humans.
- brndnmtthws 9y agoThat's true, but they are still deterministic and can be designed to be egalitarian. Humans, on the other hand, cannot be trusted in the way that a computer can.
- maxxxxx 9y agoIn theory they could be more egalitarian but the original comment was about big corporations taking over from governments with their tech. These corporations care mainly about profit so i don't think whatever rules they come up with will be good for society.
- brndnmtthws 9y agoRight, that's the scary part. A double edged sword.
- EGreg 9y agoThat is why I think we need collaboration on open source software rather than competition by company written and siloed software.
- kbart 9y agoI'd argue that government gets more and more power with technological advance. Just few decades ago regimes could only dream about total surveillance, now Chinese government are putting this in practice and I'm sure many will follow.
- brndnmtthws 9y agoThat's more of an example of human corruption, IMO. Counterpoint: people use various technologies (VPN) to bypass the great wall.
- EGreg 9y agoI don't see how your description of the China situation restores your point that governments are becoming irrelevant. China is deploying facial recognition and AI to figure out who you know and who's helping you and in a cashless society they can penalize you by cutting off your cards and those of people who try to still help you.
- brndnmtthws 9y agoI didn't make that claim with regard to China, but I see your point. I've also never been to mainland China, so I don't really know how things are there.
- benburwell 9y agoLarry Lessig agrees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_and_Other_Laws_of_Cyberspace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_and_Other_Laws_of_Cybersp...
- forapurpose 9y ago> computers are strictly deterministic Maybe in theory, but I haven't found my computers to behave that way.