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That’s wild!! To me it’s hugely inspirational and I meant it as a message of hope and optimism. What could possibly be horrifying about the idea of technologic

by zaroth 3y ago

That’s wild!! To me it’s hugely inspirational and I meant it as a message of hope and optimism. What could possibly be horrifying about the idea of technological advancement saving millions of lives and vastly improving quality of life all across the world? And how else would you propose to stop the carnage? Or is the carnage somehow worth it to cater to Nostalgia for antiquated and dangerous modes of manually-operated high speed personal transport?

singleshot_ 3y ago
Well, I spent the first half of my life in a world that hardly had any software, and now I live in a world that has been eaten by software. It’s awful. Yesterday I got a message from a bank that my account was inactive and might be considered abandoned by the bank. If that happened they would turn it over to the state and I would have to jump through hoops to get it back. So I called them up and inquired: I’ve been using this account and it’s not inactive. What’s up? A person in a faraway land, presumably working in the middle of the night authenticated me and then started clicking in their computer. They agreed that there was activity sufficient that the account was not abandoned. But then they found a “strange message” associated with some “strange activity” on the account. I asked if we could freeze the account while we sorted it out. I am flabbergasted to report that they said no. I went down to the branch to close my account. They were able to zero the account out and give me a cashiers check, but because necessary systems were down, they could not close my account. I had to return today, and now after two visits and a handful of phone calls, I am no longer concerned that my money will disappear. Having worked in technology integration for some time, I could see echoes of bad software in every single one of the obstacles that I faced. I was alive in 1985 and I had a bank account then. If I contacted my bank then for similar help, I would have received prompt, courteous service. The difference between these two scenarios is that the one that happened yesterday and today was infested with software. Now if you want to look forward to a future enabled by good software, you go ahead. Maybe that will help you create that future. I wish you luck. But right now, we live in an unending hell of bad (and badly integrated) software. I reject your false dichotomy. Drive slower, build more robust crash cells, and invest in roads that don’t suck and public transport.

by zaroth 3y ago

singleshot_ 3y ago

Well, I spent the first half of my life in a world that hardly had any software, and now I live in a world that has been eaten by software. It’s awful. Yesterday I got a message from a bank that my account was inactive and might be considered abandoned by the bank. If that happened they would turn it over to the state and I would have to jump through hoops to get it back. So I called them up and inquired: I’ve been using this account and it’s not inactive. What’s up? A person in a faraway land, presumably working in the middle of the night authenticated me and then started clicking in their computer. They agreed that there was activity sufficient that the account was not abandoned. But then they found a “strange message” associated with some “strange activity” on the account. I asked if we could freeze the account while we sorted it out. I am flabbergasted to report that they said no. I went down to the branch to close my account. They were able to zero the account out and give me a cashiers check, but because necessary systems were down, they could not close my account. I had to return today, and now after two visits and a handful of phone calls, I am no longer concerned that my money will disappear. Having worked in technology integration for some time, I could see echoes of bad software in every single one of the obstacles that I faced. I was alive in 1985 and I had a bank account then. If I contacted my bank then for similar help, I would have received prompt, courteous service. The difference between these two scenarios is that the one that happened yesterday and today was infested with software. Now if you want to look forward to a future enabled by good software, you go ahead. Maybe that will help you create that future. I wish you luck. But right now, we live in an unending hell of bad (and badly integrated) software. I reject your false dichotomy. Drive slower, build more robust crash cells, and invest in roads that don’t suck and public transport.