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We have computers in our pockets that send a signal to space to locate us anywhere on the planet within a couple of feet, then tell us how to get where we want

We have computers in our pockets that send a signal to space to locate us anywhere on the planet within a couple of feet, then tell us how to get where we want to go. We can communicate instantly, instantly with people on the other side of the planet. We have a network of satellites orbiting our planet giving us constant information about our world. Not many people predicted these things in popular culture/popular sci fi. These kinds of articles always seem like old people complaining that the future didn't turn out the way they expected. Instead of accepting that the biggest innovative breakthrough in the past 50 years was a global communication and information network, they complain that there hasn't been anything good happening.

jasonwatkinspdx 15y ago
The only problem with that criticism is that Neil Stephenson has known more about the internet earlier than nearly anyone commenting on this story. One of the central activities of 'team hero' in Cryptonomicon is laying undersea IP links. If you've read his books, it's obvious he has thought deeply about how the expansion of the internet affects everyone's lives. You are entirely missing what he is saying.
- daleharvey 15y ago
  Instead of arguing by a proxy authority, why dont you explain what he 'really' meant, since it read fairly clearly to me
  - AJ007 15y ago
    The referenced article states: "'Everything got put on hold for a generation,' while civilization digested the Internet and figured out what it could be used for.'" So I still don't know the full context of the conversation, but that makes a lot more sense.
  - jasonwatkinspdx 15y ago
    Despite classic logics denial of authority, once you subordinate logic to observation (Bayes) then authority is actually a good positive indicator. Lack of authority however is a poor negative indicator. Long story short, authority only adds support indirectly, but that's useful more often than many would like to admit. I think you're simplifying this into a pro/con dilemma. Stephenson is obviously very pro internet. So what he's pointing out is really a lack of ambition in using the new computational and communication toolkit we've built. Digital economies are fundamentally different, despite the bubbles using this to hype absurdly bad traditional business plans, this basic characteristic remains. We have not even begun to explore the implications of that. We're too busy gratifying the desires born of an older world.
Silhouette 15y ago
Instead of accepting that the biggest innovative breakthrough in the past 50 years was a global communication and information network, they complain that there hasn't been anything good happening. And ironically, they do it via that very same network, without which their ideas would probably never be read by most of the people commenting in this discussion.
rogerbinns 15y ago
> ... that send a signal to space to locate us ... Pedants corner: No they don't. Satellites in space broadcast a signal and the phones pick up multiple signals using incredibly precise timers (speed of light matters) to work out the position.
- richardburton 15y ago
  Pedant's corner ;)
  - rogerbinns 15y ago
    I guess technically it is now Pedants' corner ...

jasonwatkinspdx 15y ago

The only problem with that criticism is that Neil Stephenson has known more about the internet earlier than nearly anyone commenting on this story. One of the central activities of 'team hero' in Cryptonomicon is laying undersea IP links. If you've read his books, it's obvious he has thought deeply about how the expansion of the internet affects everyone's lives. You are entirely missing what he is saying.

daleharvey 15y ago
Instead of arguing by a proxy authority, why dont you explain what he 'really' meant, since it read fairly clearly to me
- AJ007 15y ago
  The referenced article states: "'Everything got put on hold for a generation,' while civilization digested the Internet and figured out what it could be used for.'" So I still don't know the full context of the conversation, but that makes a lot more sense.
- jasonwatkinspdx 15y ago
  Despite classic logics denial of authority, once you subordinate logic to observation (Bayes) then authority is actually a good positive indicator. Lack of authority however is a poor negative indicator. Long story short, authority only adds support indirectly, but that's useful more often than many would like to admit. I think you're simplifying this into a pro/con dilemma. Stephenson is obviously very pro internet. So what he's pointing out is really a lack of ambition in using the new computational and communication toolkit we've built. Digital economies are fundamentally different, despite the bubbles using this to hype absurdly bad traditional business plans, this basic characteristic remains. We have not even begun to explore the implications of that. We're too busy gratifying the desires born of an older world.

Silhouette 15y ago

Instead of accepting that the biggest innovative breakthrough in the past 50 years was a global communication and information network, they complain that there hasn't been anything good happening. And ironically, they do it via that very same network, without which their ideas would probably never be read by most of the people commenting in this discussion.

rogerbinns 15y ago

> ... that send a signal to space to locate us ... Pedants corner: No they don't. Satellites in space broadcast a signal and the phones pick up multiple signals using incredibly precise timers (speed of light matters) to work out the position.

richardburton 15y ago
Pedant's corner ;)
- rogerbinns 15y ago
  I guess technically it is now Pedants' corner ...