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This is almost all of the software we use, I guess :) (that isn't strictly for entertainment) The most notable productivity boosts/cognition boosts found so fa

This is almost all of the software we use, I guess :) (that isn't strictly for entertainment) The most notable productivity boosts/cognition boosts found so far have got to be Google [search engines] and Stack Overflow. Yes you could use books but the speed is incomparable. I can accomplish something extremely complicated that would require lots of thinking with just a few queries, reading solutions and glueing them together. I can get expert advice on anything instantaneously. Interestingly this augmentation is mostly 'oracular', just giving you the right answers on demand. Though sometimes the rationale behind an answer is well explained and you can somewhat incorporate the general solution model. Should we value more augmentation devices that are less oracular? E.g. maybe a high level programming language is a non-oracular augmentation device; you still have to correctly encode all logic, only now you can glance over some details (in sacrifice of some performance). Do we risk of atrophy from this practice of getting everything almost ready? The productivity increase would indicate you can just use your time to accomplish more; but we all know sometimes "wasting" time is needed to learn or maintain useful skills (e.g. you could always use a calculator, but we chose to learn arithmetic; you could use wolfram to solve integrals instead of learning calculus; we spend time exercising). It does sometimes feel like I'm almost a god at the computer, and a naked mortal away from it.

lioeters 7y ago
In addition to search engines and Stack Overflow, I'd include open-source software (and easy access to it via package managers, GitHub, etc.) as a massive productivity boost. I think that's in line with the process you described, of gluing together existing modules/solutions to accomplish purpose-specific tasks. From the perspective of augmenting the intellect via computers and software, I feel quite blessed to be living in the current historical time - at the same time, we're still far from Doug Englebart's vision, especially for the general, non-programming public. I also wonder about the "atrophy" that may come from depending on external augmentation, that we may be losing the ability to do things directly with "raw" intellect, without machines.

lioeters 7y ago

In addition to search engines and Stack Overflow, I'd include open-source software (and easy access to it via package managers, GitHub, etc.) as a massive productivity boost. I think that's in line with the process you described, of gluing together existing modules/solutions to accomplish purpose-specific tasks. From the perspective of augmenting the intellect via computers and software, I feel quite blessed to be living in the current historical time - at the same time, we're still far from Doug Englebart's vision, especially for the general, non-programming public. I also wonder about the "atrophy" that may come from depending on external augmentation, that we may be losing the ability to do things directly with "raw" intellect, without machines.