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> They are unequal devices. Smartphones are unapologetically devices for consumption. In this regard they differ critically from PCs, because PCs are equal devi

> They are unequal devices. Smartphones are unapologetically devices for consumption. In this regard they differ critically from PCs, because PCs are equal devices in the sense that the same device is used for creation and consumption. False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. > They are not real network clients. Smartphones have powerful CPUs and fast network connections, except that you aren't actually allowed to use these resources in any meaningful sense, because doing so consumes battery power, and people don't want the precious battery life of their phones drained unnecessarily. Falsy (maybe truee in 2016 when the article was written) ... > They have led to massive centralization. Part of the “cloud” movement is probably driven by the fact that while smartphones have substantial computational resources, you can't actually use them because of battery life. So instead the computation is done in the cloud, creating a dependency on a centralized entity. Maybe true > They have ruined web design. Nope, poor "mobile first" (aka let's apply mobile ui patterns to every other devices) ruined webdesign > There are no secure smartphones. True, like there's no secure PC. Or mac.

p_j_w 5y ago
>False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. Even if this isn't true, it's not a great point. Most people didn't use their home PCs to create content anyways, so the ability to create content more or less went to waste.
selfhoster11 5y ago
If smartphones count as creation machines because they can take pictures and perform some basic editing, then my DSLR or Polaroid camera also counts. Even my pre-smartphone candybar from 2008 would count. Unfortunately, smartphones, due to their form factor, don't actually allow precise editing or manipulation of content - which is what is usually meant by the idea that "smartphones are devices for consumption, and not creation". The same applies to text, to some extent. Yes, you can author a novel on a smartphone, but it's gonna be an excruciating process if you want to do any fine text manipulation at all.
- spideymans 5y ago
  >Unfortunately, smartphones, due to their form factor, don't actually allow precise editing or manipulation of content The precision of editing they do allow is "good enough" for the average Joe.
  - xg15 5y ago
    Sources?
  - selfhoster11 5y ago
    Good for the average Joe, but the average Joe also doesn't create long-form content for a living with any degree of precision.
- wartijn_ 5y ago
  Smartphones count as creation machines because people create content on them. If you take a look at Tiktok, Instagram or many of the other social networks, you'll see countless pieces of content that are created by smartphones each day.
  - PodWaver 5y ago
    I hate to sound like a nostalgic fart, but remember when content creation meant making never seen before flash games and animations, or long video content instead of 5 seconds jokes and girls dancing half nakedly?
  - selfhoster11 5y ago
    I fail to see how you addressed any of what I said. The comment that I wrote this in reply to literally made the same point as your comment.
    - wartijn_ 5y ago
      If you got that form that comment, I don't understand your first comment. It's clear to you that smartphones are being used to create content, but you still think they aren't content creation devices, because they lack precision? If content creation devices aren't the devices that create content, then what are they?
sto_hristo 5y ago
> False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. The actual main point he was making is that you can't use the device to create things for the device, things that can make use of the device's capabilities. In effect the device is a console. And consoles are purely for consumption. Sure, consoles allow you to make recordings of your gaming sessions, etc., but they can't be used to create the games. And gaming recordings are not content, but a byproduct enabled by the actual content.
meowzero 5y ago
It's true about content creation. Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, etc. are done using mainly smartphones. There's a ton of content created on smartphones than he realize. Heck, there are movies shot on the iPhone: https://www.cashify.in/12-movies-which-you-never-knew-were-shot-completely-on-iphone https://www.cashify.in/12-movies-which-you-never-knew-were-s...
- springogeek 5y ago
  The media is often captured using a smartphone, but I don't think I would call unedited media "content". I reckon that the editing process is more likely to be done on a PC/Mac/Workstation than the phone itself.
  - meowzero 5y ago
    Professional stuff maybe. But for casual ones, you can edit in the phone and upload. I'm thinking there's a lot more of that going on than professional productions.
  - 0xCMP 5y ago
    OP's point was that basically smartphones did not allow you to "create" at all. I would consider that most content by that larger definition to be created on a phone (Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and even if it was edited on a PC to be using media created on the phone first. Only photographers, influencers, and etc. have the time or need to do a full pro-camera -> Editing Station -> Publish cycle for the majority of their content.
RunSet 5y ago
> False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. I would say the content is not "pics and short videos", but rather TikTok / Instagram / Snapchat / etc. Most such apps are developed on PCs and consumed on smart phones.

p_j_w 5y ago

>False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. Even if this isn't true, it's not a great point. Most people didn't use their home PCs to create content anyways, so the ability to create content more or less went to waste.

selfhoster11 5y ago

If smartphones count as creation machines because they can take pictures and perform some basic editing, then my DSLR or Polaroid camera also counts. Even my pre-smartphone candybar from 2008 would count. Unfortunately, smartphones, due to their form factor, don't actually allow precise editing or manipulation of content - which is what is usually meant by the idea that "smartphones are devices for consumption, and not creation". The same applies to text, to some extent. Yes, you can author a novel on a smartphone, but it's gonna be an excruciating process if you want to do any fine text manipulation at all.

spideymans 5y ago
>Unfortunately, smartphones, due to their form factor, don't actually allow precise editing or manipulation of content The precision of editing they do allow is "good enough" for the average Joe.
- xg15 5y ago
  Sources?
- selfhoster11 5y ago
  Good for the average Joe, but the average Joe also doesn't create long-form content for a living with any degree of precision.
wartijn_ 5y ago
Smartphones count as creation machines because people create content on them. If you take a look at Tiktok, Instagram or many of the other social networks, you'll see countless pieces of content that are created by smartphones each day.
- PodWaver 5y ago
  I hate to sound like a nostalgic fart, but remember when content creation meant making never seen before flash games and animations, or long video content instead of 5 seconds jokes and girls dancing half nakedly?
- selfhoster11 5y ago
  I fail to see how you addressed any of what I said. The comment that I wrote this in reply to literally made the same point as your comment.
  - wartijn_ 5y ago
    If you got that form that comment, I don't understand your first comment. It's clear to you that smartphones are being used to create content, but you still think they aren't content creation devices, because they lack precision? If content creation devices aren't the devices that create content, then what are they?

sto_hristo 5y ago

> False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. The actual main point he was making is that you can't use the device to create things for the device, things that can make use of the device's capabilities. In effect the device is a console. And consoles are purely for consumption. Sure, consoles allow you to make recordings of your gaming sessions, etc., but they can't be used to create the games. And gaming recordings are not content, but a byproduct enabled by the actual content.

meowzero 5y ago

It's true about content creation. Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, etc. are done using mainly smartphones. There's a ton of content created on smartphones than he realize. Heck, there are movies shot on the iPhone: https://www.cashify.in/12-movies-which-you-never-knew-were-shot-completely-on-iphone https://www.cashify.in/12-movies-which-you-never-knew-were-s...

springogeek 5y ago
The media is often captured using a smartphone, but I don't think I would call unedited media "content". I reckon that the editing process is more likely to be done on a PC/Mac/Workstation than the phone itself.
- meowzero 5y ago
  Professional stuff maybe. But for casual ones, you can edit in the phone and upload. I'm thinking there's a lot more of that going on than professional productions.
- 0xCMP 5y ago
  OP's point was that basically smartphones did not allow you to "create" at all. I would consider that most content by that larger definition to be created on a phone (Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and even if it was edited on a PC to be using media created on the phone first. Only photographers, influencers, and etc. have the time or need to do a full pro-camera -> Editing Station -> Publish cycle for the majority of their content.

RunSet 5y ago

> False. I bet the vast majority of content available online is now (think of pics and short videos) created on smartphones. I would say the content is not "pics and short videos", but rather TikTok / Instagram / Snapchat / etc. Most such apps are developed on PCs and consumed on smart phones.