4 ms·
I disagree with all this negativism that is taking over lately. I think that there are several very positive trends for the tech sector: 1 - Big data is comin
by mathattack 13y ago
I disagree with all this negativism that is taking over lately. I think that there are several very positive trends for the tech sector:
1 - Big data is coming age. People are becoming more realistic about what it means, Data Science is becoming a profession, and the hype is being replaced by results.
2 - It has gotten even easier to learn how to program. Udacity, Coursera and StackExchange continue to improve. The resources available for the resourceful have multiplied.
3 - The IPO market is back. Facebook's investors no longer feel burned. Twitter's investors and employees are doing great. The better the IPO market, the more money that gets recycled into technology.
4 - We are aware of the privacy beast. Some view this as terrible. Awareness is actually the first path to fixing the problem.
5 - SF may be seeing hostility towards tech firms, but the tech scene is thriving and being welcomed with open arms in NYC, Austin, Boston, and perhaps even Tokyo.
6 - It's been a good year for gay marriage, which is the defining civil liberties battle of the day.
7 - Computer Science is a trendy major. Stanford undergrads flock to it. Harvard's cs50 competes with intro to economics as the most popular major. Every that this occurs, our technological capability as a society increases.
Yes, there are a lot of reasons for 2013 to have been crappy, but I'm optimistic about 2014.
- saraid216 13y agoIt's entirely unfair to put #6 on that list.
- yurylifshits 13y agoHere is the logic behind #6 being in the list: Many attractive markets are heavily regulated. Just ask Uber. Think of customs, law enforcement, transportation, education, finance, health. So far, tech industry is doing great in unregulated industries and has a lot of tough barriers in government controlled areas. Any step towards more liberties is a sign that new previously regulated markets can open up for innovation.
- saraid216 13y agoThat's not an argument that it is good for the tech industry. That's an argument that it is good for everyone-everywhere. You may as well claim that the Emancipation Proclamation was good for the timber industry.
- mathattack 13y agoFrom an economics point of view (and paraphrasing the Economist) legalizing gay marriage is the quickest and cheapest way to increase total happiness for the population.
- saraid216 13y agoThat would remain true if there didn't exist a tech sector.
- mathattack 13y agoFair point