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I like this article and I definitely agree with Toyama's view, however my emotional reaction might be summarized as "Meh, welcome to the party... even though yo

by bcg1 11y ago

I like this article and I definitely agree with Toyama's view, however my emotional reaction might be summarized as "Meh, welcome to the party... even though you're a little a late we're glad you showed up" A lot of the points in the article are of course right in line with many of the arguments that RMS et al have more over the years. The assertion that 'technologists' (as opposed to concert pianists etc) feel entitled to enact social change is simplistic and misleading. Those who feel entitled in this way are in general just wealthy ego-maniacal control freaks... and in the current age technology is one place where the money is, so that's where they are. That said, there seems to be a bizarre tendency to give 'technologists' a free pass on ideas and actions that are quite obviously negative for free society and human rights. Of course, powerful monied interests trying to reshape societal for the perpetuation of their own power and ideology is nothing new... meet the new boss, same as the old boss. At least the article does a good job of attacking the false notion the power of technology to transform is unequivocally positive.

advael 11y ago
>That said, there seems to be a bizarre tendency to give 'technologists' a free pass on ideas and actions that are quite obviously negative for free society and human rights. I think tech billionaires occupy the position of the "new, cool rich". I don't know if it's our (Western? US?) culture or humanity in general that likes seeing underdogs (or, more often, people who can paint themselves as underdogs successfully) win, but there seems to be a long history of the powerful becoming out of touch and against the interests of the many (Either by ignorance, indifference, or very occasionally deliberate malice), new powerful people emerging (Sometimes but not always replacing the old powerful people), and people thinking of them as heroes who "made it" for a while before they've been around long enough that it's clear they've become out of touch and against the interests of the many, if they weren't in the first place. The free pass is the sheen of new power, rather than entrenched power, and it wears off quickly.

by bcg1 11y ago

advael 11y ago

>That said, there seems to be a bizarre tendency to give 'technologists' a free pass on ideas and actions that are quite obviously negative for free society and human rights. I think tech billionaires occupy the position of the "new, cool rich". I don't know if it's our (Western? US?) culture or humanity in general that likes seeing underdogs (or, more often, people who can paint themselves as underdogs successfully) win, but there seems to be a long history of the powerful becoming out of touch and against the interests of the many (Either by ignorance, indifference, or very occasionally deliberate malice), new powerful people emerging (Sometimes but not always replacing the old powerful people), and people thinking of them as heroes who "made it" for a while before they've been around long enough that it's clear they've become out of touch and against the interests of the many, if they weren't in the first place. The free pass is the sheen of new power, rather than entrenched power, and it wears off quickly.