> By perpetually refreshing the illusion that progress is just getting under way, gadget worshippers like Kelly are able to wave away the problems that progress

> By perpetually refreshing the illusion that progress is just getting under way, gadget worshippers like Kelly are able to wave away the problems that progress is causing. Any ill effect can be explained, and dismissed, as just a temporary bug in the system, which will soon be fixed by our benevolent engineers. These were the key sentences to me. I agree that we can't put our head in the sand about the problems technology produce _today_. Part of those solutions will be technical, and part of those will be cultural. Technology is never operates in a vacuum. Regarding the "we're at the beginning" argument... I think it depends on the time horizon, and if you're a futurist (like Wired tends to be) or if you're responsible for immediate technical/policy decisions. If you view the potential impact of technology over the next 200 to 300 years, then, yeah, we're beginning. If you want to clean up the mess we've made over the last 20 to 50 years, then, no, we're not at the beginning.