4 ms·

The tech utopia nobody wants: why the world nerds are creating will be awful

17 points by mergy 12y ago

kordless 12y ago
> The backlash against this world is democracy manifesting itself; a tacit rejection of the ideological assumptions underpinning the personal tech revolution. When was there a time humans didn't react negatively toward technology advancements? This article fails to deliver on the assertion in its title: "the world ... will be awful". Someone thinking the future will be awful doesn't not mean the future being awful when we arrive at it.
Shorel 12y ago
For someone who follows a paleo/keto diet, soylent doesn't seem that healthy to me. In fact it's more of the same food that makes people obese, just without chewing.
- cordite 12y ago
  Soylent has a specified volume of all the ingredients. It is meant to be sufficient, whereas food stamps being applied to snack foods in large quantities, because they are cheaper, is what contributes to obesity.
  - kstenerud 12y ago
    Are food stamps being applied to snack foods in large quantities? What is the percentage distribution of foods being bought with food stamps in terms of their nutritional value? And does government have the right to dictate what people poor enough to require food stamps must eat?
    - seizethecheese 12y ago
      Government doesn't have the right to tell people what to eat, but it does have the right to decide what it pays for! As a taxpayer and someone who has been on food stamps (briefly) I see no problem with this.
mergy 12y ago
When I read this, I immediately thought this is nothing new with early adopters over the last couple of decades. People get into something new and feel it will be the future. But, I think the sense of scope and vitriol has changed with these sorts of early adopters. There is more of a pointed, hostile vibe now to this. That is essentially what I took away from the piece.
erikcaso 12y ago
Interesting point of view. Admittedly, there are meaningful sociological questions about where tech is going to move society. It (tech) is moving faster and faster and has generally unknown consequences to all of us - those of us on the "inside" just as much as those on the "outside."

17 points by mergy 12y ago

> The backlash against this world is democracy manifesting itself; a tacit rejection of the ideological assumptions underpinning the personal tech revolution. When was there a time humans didn't react negatively toward technology advancements? This article fails to deliver on the assertion in its title: "the world ... will be awful". Someone thinking the future will be awful doesn't not mean the future being awful when we arrive at it.

Shorel 12y ago

For someone who follows a paleo/keto diet, soylent doesn't seem that healthy to me. In fact it's more of the same food that makes people obese, just without chewing.

cordite 12y ago
Soylent has a specified volume of all the ingredients. It is meant to be sufficient, whereas food stamps being applied to snack foods in large quantities, because they are cheaper, is what contributes to obesity.
- kstenerud 12y ago
  Are food stamps being applied to snack foods in large quantities? What is the percentage distribution of foods being bought with food stamps in terms of their nutritional value? And does government have the right to dictate what people poor enough to require food stamps must eat?
  - seizethecheese 12y ago
    Government doesn't have the right to tell people what to eat, but it does have the right to decide what it pays for! As a taxpayer and someone who has been on food stamps (briefly) I see no problem with this.

mergy 12y ago

When I read this, I immediately thought this is nothing new with early adopters over the last couple of decades. People get into something new and feel it will be the future. But, I think the sense of scope and vitriol has changed with these sorts of early adopters. There is more of a pointed, hostile vibe now to this. That is essentially what I took away from the piece.

erikcaso 12y ago

Interesting point of view. Admittedly, there are meaningful sociological questions about where tech is going to move society. It (tech) is moving faster and faster and has generally unknown consequences to all of us - those of us on the "inside" just as much as those on the "outside."