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If you think about it, it's deeply depressing how much incredibly interesting technology (and cumulative human effort) goes into portable computing devices that

If you think about it, it's deeply depressing how much incredibly interesting technology (and cumulative human effort) goes into portable computing devices that have the primary commercial purpose of forcing people to look at advertising. There's something deeply wrong when the best purpose humanity can find for all the effort that goes into things like 5G and EUV lithography is to use it to keep people addicted to Facebook and unregulated gambling ("game with in-app payment") apps.

diydsp 6y ago
I believe that's the initial, scribbled signature of homo sapiens and post-modernism. We're past survival and aware enough to know something is up, but highly susceptible to our instincts and especially to control by others. While we could survive with so little work, others keep us in artifical scarcity to elevate their quality of life and protect themselves from people more predatory than them.
autosharp 6y ago
Nah, that is just the funding mechanism for the tech but not the actual objective.
pradn 6y ago
It's torturous to claim that phones have a "primary commercial purpose of forcing people to look at advertising". Most people would say phones are for talking to loved ones, having fun, getting the news, and playing games. Just today, I skimmed the NYT and FT, read about the Polish author Jan Potocki (and tweeted out quotes from the article), emailed my landlord, and reminisced with friends about our favorite biscuit shop. Perhaps I saw some ads, incidentally. I realize not everyone is doing what I'm doing. But, seeing my friends' baby's pictures and all on Facebook isn't altogether worthless. There's a limit to useful cynicism.
- M277 6y ago
  Valid points, although I disagree on the 'playing games' part. I haven't played mobile games in a long while, however the last time I checked them, they were all poorly designed, predatory schemes designed to be intentionally frustrating to get you to spend money in them.
  - pradn 6y ago
    I agree with you. The vast majority of mobile games are trashy slot machines. There are a good number of excellent mobile games though: Monument Valley comes to mind.
  - evgen 6y ago
    You need to search for better games. There are some great ports of very good board games out there right now and almost all of the good board games are apps of the 'pay us $5-10 now and we will continue to update this already quite good app for years and you will never see an ad or IAP' variety. Very refreshing.
- egsmi 6y ago
  > It's torturous to claim that phones have a "primary commercial purpose of forcing people to look at advertising". That's true. I also read a lot comments on hacker news.
M277 6y ago
I have always been fascinated by this, actually. It's very clear that 'the system' (the way the world works) is not really good (good being for the benefit of mankind), in fact it's dangerous, and yet nobody does anything at all. Everything is designed to extract the maximum amount of money possible, and ideas are only good if they generate money. And nobody sees anything wrong with that at all, long-term. It's interesting to watch, as someone who comes from a different upbringing.

diydsp 6y ago

I believe that's the initial, scribbled signature of homo sapiens and post-modernism. We're past survival and aware enough to know something is up, but highly susceptible to our instincts and especially to control by others. While we could survive with so little work, others keep us in artifical scarcity to elevate their quality of life and protect themselves from people more predatory than them.

autosharp 6y ago

Nah, that is just the funding mechanism for the tech but not the actual objective.

pradn 6y ago

It's torturous to claim that phones have a "primary commercial purpose of forcing people to look at advertising". Most people would say phones are for talking to loved ones, having fun, getting the news, and playing games. Just today, I skimmed the NYT and FT, read about the Polish author Jan Potocki (and tweeted out quotes from the article), emailed my landlord, and reminisced with friends about our favorite biscuit shop. Perhaps I saw some ads, incidentally. I realize not everyone is doing what I'm doing. But, seeing my friends' baby's pictures and all on Facebook isn't altogether worthless. There's a limit to useful cynicism.

M277 6y ago
Valid points, although I disagree on the 'playing games' part. I haven't played mobile games in a long while, however the last time I checked them, they were all poorly designed, predatory schemes designed to be intentionally frustrating to get you to spend money in them.
- pradn 6y ago
  I agree with you. The vast majority of mobile games are trashy slot machines. There are a good number of excellent mobile games though: Monument Valley comes to mind.
- evgen 6y ago
  You need to search for better games. There are some great ports of very good board games out there right now and almost all of the good board games are apps of the 'pay us $5-10 now and we will continue to update this already quite good app for years and you will never see an ad or IAP' variety. Very refreshing.
egsmi 6y ago
> It's torturous to claim that phones have a "primary commercial purpose of forcing people to look at advertising". That's true. I also read a lot comments on hacker news.

M277 6y ago

I have always been fascinated by this, actually. It's very clear that 'the system' (the way the world works) is not really good (good being for the benefit of mankind), in fact it's dangerous, and yet nobody does anything at all. Everything is designed to extract the maximum amount of money possible, and ideas are only good if they generate money. And nobody sees anything wrong with that at all, long-term. It's interesting to watch, as someone who comes from a different upbringing.