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The author sounds like they aren’t very well traveled. There are a lot of countries that are much more culturally open to new technology than San Francisco, and

The author sounds like they aren’t very well traveled. There are a lot of countries that are much more culturally open to new technology than San Francisco, and San Francisco is unusual in its openness within USA. Viewing SF as still this place of global innovation and openness to new ideas only holds up if it isn’t a truly global comparison and instead is focusing on Europe and North America. Most of the big ideas in both bits and atoms today come from regions within the belt spanning Middle East through South and East Asia. Adoption rates for cryptocurrency, ai, urban smart cities, and more are much higher across these regions than in the 90s tech centers.

outside1234 4y ago
The reality is that there are very STILL very few places (none?) that combine the openness (don't have to be third generation), non repression (ok if you are gay), reasonable labor laws (can fire someone that has been underperforming for four months), world class universities (trained workforce) and capital the way Silicon Valley does.
- xyzzy_plugh 4y ago
  This is fairly correct from my perspective. I think what's very neat about our current location in spacetime is that places and communities now transcend physical location. It's possible to be in a community or collective that has all of these properties while being physically nested in countless communities which do not. At least, for some definition of internet access. At this point it doesn't feel like there is much going on in Silicon Valley that warrants physical presence, though I recognize it's a controversial topic. At least for me, Silicon Valley has ascended and now lives in the ether. I left long ago but I'm still in Silicon Valley every day.
- simple-thoughts 4y ago
  You forgot climate, which in my opinion is the only real advantage - those things you describe can be found elsewhere even in places that your favorite western newspaper describe as undemocratic. The only places with as pleasant a climate as California are parts of Chile, Portugal, and Morocco- all of which do present trade offs. You’re also assuming that new technology looks like the technology of the past, big mega corps in a physical location hiring from a local worker pool. The biggest innovators don’t look like this. Most blockchain projects are run by globally distributed non profits, most interesting urban innovation is state sponsored with international contractors.

outside1234 4y ago

The reality is that there are very STILL very few places (none?) that combine the openness (don't have to be third generation), non repression (ok if you are gay), reasonable labor laws (can fire someone that has been underperforming for four months), world class universities (trained workforce) and capital the way Silicon Valley does.

xyzzy_plugh 4y ago
This is fairly correct from my perspective. I think what's very neat about our current location in spacetime is that places and communities now transcend physical location. It's possible to be in a community or collective that has all of these properties while being physically nested in countless communities which do not. At least, for some definition of internet access. At this point it doesn't feel like there is much going on in Silicon Valley that warrants physical presence, though I recognize it's a controversial topic. At least for me, Silicon Valley has ascended and now lives in the ether. I left long ago but I'm still in Silicon Valley every day.
simple-thoughts 4y ago
You forgot climate, which in my opinion is the only real advantage - those things you describe can be found elsewhere even in places that your favorite western newspaper describe as undemocratic. The only places with as pleasant a climate as California are parts of Chile, Portugal, and Morocco- all of which do present trade offs. You’re also assuming that new technology looks like the technology of the past, big mega corps in a physical location hiring from a local worker pool. The biggest innovators don’t look like this. Most blockchain projects are run by globally distributed non profits, most interesting urban innovation is state sponsored with international contractors.