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"opens infinite number of new space exploration possibilities" In practice, "infinite" translates mainly to a handful of hyper-competitive guys checking off "w

"opens infinite number of new space exploration possibilities" In practice, "infinite" translates mainly to a handful of hyper-competitive guys checking off "went to space" off their achievements list. There is a very good reason for that: space is very inhospitable, much more inhospitable than Antarctica. Nothing much has happened in Antarctica for 100 years beyond the occasional hyper-competitive athlete and a few research stations. Perhaps a natural resource gold rush might liven up the place for a few decades, until exhaustion and falling back to inhospitable status, dotted with the rare ghost town remains. Something similar happens in the "creative" space: the Internet unleashed a massive tidal wave of "content", yet the vast vast majority of it is rather trite and devoid of any (spiritual) meaning. Personally, I'm much more inclined to stick with the classics than even 20 years ago, simply because it's not worth my time wading through the deluge of poor quality "content" out there. To wrap up the analogy, I'd rather inhabit a nutritionally rich environment, than getting lost in the the vast, but mostly empty, expanse of the Internet.

simonw 4y ago
Even if the vast majority of content on the internet is "rather trite and devoid of meaning", there's so much out there that even if just 0.05% of it is any good then that's a vast amount of new high quality content to enjoy and learn from. I would take today's internet-fuelled media landscape over the landscape of 20 years ago in a heart beat.
- fatherzine 4y ago
  I am fairly torn on this topic. The statement is mostly an admission that I'm too weak to not personally waste too much time on trite Internet content. The question I often ask myself: is spending time with this content, while entertaining in the short term, perhaps via the novelty factor, also nourishing in the long term? The answer is, sadly, much more frequently NO than in the time of printed books. The best I can hope is to be able to use Internet as an encyclopedia for laser-focused lookups. Sadly, I am too often caught in browsing random content only loosely related to the original lookup topic.
borski 4y ago
I see your point, and I raise you SoundCloud rap, tiktok, and virality. A lot of the “trite” internet creations have gone on to become absolutely massive songs or artists.
- jjeaff 4y ago
  I wouldn't say "a lot". A handful at most.
  - borski 4y ago
    New music is funneled through the internet now, and that’s how things get launched. The old mode is dying.
njarboe 4y ago
Nothing happens in Antarctica because the world powers signed a treaty in 1959 causing that to happen[1]. If it was open land that was allowed inhabited and owned by people forming new governments, I would bet you would see settlements sprout up there quite quickly. In space you might be able to set up new sovereign entities. That is one major reason people will want to go there. [1] https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/antarct/anttrty.jsp https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/antarct/anttrty.jsp

simonw 4y ago

Even if the vast majority of content on the internet is "rather trite and devoid of meaning", there's so much out there that even if just 0.05% of it is any good then that's a vast amount of new high quality content to enjoy and learn from. I would take today's internet-fuelled media landscape over the landscape of 20 years ago in a heart beat.

fatherzine 4y ago
I am fairly torn on this topic. The statement is mostly an admission that I'm too weak to not personally waste too much time on trite Internet content. The question I often ask myself: is spending time with this content, while entertaining in the short term, perhaps via the novelty factor, also nourishing in the long term? The answer is, sadly, much more frequently NO than in the time of printed books. The best I can hope is to be able to use Internet as an encyclopedia for laser-focused lookups. Sadly, I am too often caught in browsing random content only loosely related to the original lookup topic.

borski 4y ago

I see your point, and I raise you SoundCloud rap, tiktok, and virality. A lot of the “trite” internet creations have gone on to become absolutely massive songs or artists.

jjeaff 4y ago
I wouldn't say "a lot". A handful at most.
- borski 4y ago
  New music is funneled through the internet now, and that’s how things get launched. The old mode is dying.

njarboe 4y ago

Nothing happens in Antarctica because the world powers signed a treaty in 1959 causing that to happen[1]. If it was open land that was allowed inhabited and owned by people forming new governments, I would bet you would see settlements sprout up there quite quickly. In space you might be able to set up new sovereign entities. That is one major reason people will want to go there. [1] https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/antarct/anttrty.jsp https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/antarct/anttrty.jsp