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Dystopia how? Social networks and their ilk are something that we are struggling with and has impacted society, definitely, but it isn't dystopian (not that it

Dystopia how? Social networks and their ilk are something that we are struggling with and has impacted society, definitely, but it isn't dystopian (not that it won't go that way). But "software" in general? I don't see any indicators - what do you mean by that statement? Have any examples?

rowanG077 5y ago
I have a few examples. The loss of ownership over Software. The blatant privacy violations. Free Software + ads combination. The consolidation of vital pieces Software into a very small set(sometimes singleton) of companies. The loss of user agency in Software. Literal killer autonomous robots.
- drewcoo 5y ago
  Part of what you describe is monopoly. That's not new. That's what capitalism tends toward. The other parts you describe are all about connectedness. Or side effects of connectedness. Largely due to the Internet and partially to cell then smart phones. Those are new tech that humans haven't quite made peace with yet. That happens with all tech changes, belive it or not. Over a century ago electrification was jarring. All sorts of magical devices [1] used electricity. And electricity was dangerous! [2] There was also the less obvious danger of con artists, who with sufficiently technological-seeming devices are indistinguishable from magicians (apologies to Clarke!). And the whole thing was such confusing upheaval to society that Rube Goldberg [3] helped people cope by laughing about it. [1] https://www.announcingit.com/invitations-blog/what-came-first-electric-appliances-timeline/ https://www.announcingit.com/invitations-blog/what-came-firs... [2] https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/why-did-thomas-edison-electrocute-elephant.htm https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questio... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg
  - rowanG077 5y ago
    None of my points are about connectedness. Not sure which points you are talking about. Only thing you might link to connectedness is loss of privacy. But you can leave privacy perfectly intact with full connectedness. I also disagree with your point that such thing happens with all tech. Electricity didn't take away the agency of humanity. Electricity doesn't go out and kill a person based on what electricity judges to be worthy. Such answers are a copout.

rowanG077 5y ago

I have a few examples. The loss of ownership over Software. The blatant privacy violations. Free Software + ads combination. The consolidation of vital pieces Software into a very small set(sometimes singleton) of companies. The loss of user agency in Software. Literal killer autonomous robots.

drewcoo 5y ago
Part of what you describe is monopoly. That's not new. That's what capitalism tends toward. The other parts you describe are all about connectedness. Or side effects of connectedness. Largely due to the Internet and partially to cell then smart phones. Those are new tech that humans haven't quite made peace with yet. That happens with all tech changes, belive it or not. Over a century ago electrification was jarring. All sorts of magical devices [1] used electricity. And electricity was dangerous! [2] There was also the less obvious danger of con artists, who with sufficiently technological-seeming devices are indistinguishable from magicians (apologies to Clarke!). And the whole thing was such confusing upheaval to society that Rube Goldberg [3] helped people cope by laughing about it. [1] https://www.announcingit.com/invitations-blog/what-came-first-electric-appliances-timeline/ https://www.announcingit.com/invitations-blog/what-came-firs... [2] https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/why-did-thomas-edison-electrocute-elephant.htm https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questio... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg
- rowanG077 5y ago
  None of my points are about connectedness. Not sure which points you are talking about. Only thing you might link to connectedness is loss of privacy. But you can leave privacy perfectly intact with full connectedness. I also disagree with your point that such thing happens with all tech. Electricity didn't take away the agency of humanity. Electricity doesn't go out and kill a person based on what electricity judges to be worthy. Such answers are a copout.