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253 points akyuu | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.003s | source
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zkmon ◴[] No.45946175[source]
Common man never had a need for internet or global connectedness. DARPA wanted to push technology to gain upper hand in the world matters. Universities pushed technology to show progress and sell research. Businesses pushed technologies to have more sales. It was kind of acid rain that was caused by the establishments and sold as scented rain.
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gchamonlive ◴[] No.45946413[source]
> Common man never had a need for internet or global connectedness

That's not how culture evolves. You don't necessarily need to have a problem so that a solution is developed. You can very well have a technology developed for other purposes, or just for exploration sake, and then as this tech exists uses for it start to pop post hoc.

You therefore ignore the immense benefit of access to information that technology has, something that wasn't necessarily a problem for the common man but once its there, the popularization of the access to information, they adapt and grow dependent on it. Just like electricity.

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zkmon ◴[] No.45946582[source]
>>immense benefits ??

People with dialup telephones never asked for a smartphone connected to internet. They were just as happy back then or even more happy because phone didn't eat off their time or cause posture problems.

Sure, shopping was slower without amazon website, but not less happy experience back then. Infact homes had less junk and people saved more money

Messaging? sure it makes you spend time with 100 whatsapp groups, where 99% of the people don't know you personally.

It helped companies to sell more of the junk more quickly.

It created bloggers and content creators who lived in an imaginary world thinking that someone really consumes their content.

It created karma beggers who begged globally for likes that are worth nothing.

It created more concentration of wealth at some weird internet companies, which don't solve any of the world problems or basic needs of the people.

And finally it created AI that pumps plastic sewage to fill the internet. There it is, your immensely useful internet.

As if the plastic pollution was not enough in the real world, the internet will be filled with plastic content.

What else did internet give that is immensely helpful?

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wartywhoa23 ◴[] No.45947014[source]
You're blaming the hammer for people driving nails into other's heads instead of walls.

A friend of mine, who had a similar opinion on technology, once watched a movie that seemed to reinforce it in his eyes, and tried to persuade me as if it was the ultimate proof that all technology is evil.

The plot depicted a happy small tribe of indigenous people deep in the rainforest, who never ever saw any artifacts of civilization. They never knew war, homicide, or theft. Basically, they knew no evil. Then, one day, a plane flies over and someone frivolously tosses an emptied bottle of Coca-Cola out of the window (sic!). A member of the tribe finds it in the forest and brings back to the village. And, naturally, everyone else wants to get hold of the bottle, because it's so supernatural and attractive. But the guy decides he's the only owner, refuses and then of course kills those who try to get it by force, and all hell breaks loose in no time.

"See", - concludes my friend triumphally, - "the technology brought evil into this innocent tribe!"

"But don't you think that evil already lurked in those people to start with, if they were ready to kill each other for shiny things?" - I asked, quite baffled.

"Oh, come on, so you're just supporting this shit!" was the answer...

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zkmon ◴[] No.45947103{3}[source]
You didn't actually refute any of the examples I gave. Show me the benefits of internet which helped equal sharing of the resources of this planet. Show me how internet did not help concentration of power and wealth. Show me how people's attention span and physical spaces are not filled by junk thanks to internet.
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wartywhoa23 ◴[] No.45947176{4}[source]
Why refute the examples based on the false premise that it's the medium's fault that it's filled with plastic bullshit (which I'm totally agree with, mind you)?

What's next, blaming electromagnetic field and devices to modulate it for beeing full of propaganda, violence and all kinds of filth the humankind is capable of creating? You find what you seek, and if not, keep turning that damn knob further.

But since you insist, some good frequencies to tune into:

1) Self-education in whatever field of practical or theoretical knowldege you're interested in;

2) Seeing a wider picture of the world than your local authorities would like you to (yes, basically seing that all the world's kings are naked, which is the #1 reason why the Internet became such a major pain in the ass for the kings' trade union, so to say);

3) Being able to work from any location in the world with access to the Internet;

4) You mentioned selling trash en masse worldwide, but I know enough examples of wonderful things produced by independent people and sold worldwide.

The list could be longer, but I hate doing useless and thankless work.

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1. zkmon ◴[] No.45947411{5}[source]
Thanks for providing some positive examples. But these examples are dwarfed by the negative effects brought in by internet, in my view. Sure, a modulated signal can be used for broadcasting weather report or some propaganda. But the rush to push technology was done mostly by not talking about the negative effects. Same is happening with AI. Sales prospects are the positive benefits driving it. No one want to say that the tiger which they are bringing back to life, because they can, is an enemy of humans.
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2. wartywhoa23 ◴[] No.45947580[source]
I do agree with you that the negative aspects have been overwhelming any remaining good for quite some time, and that's a constant source of mourning for good things which keep succumbing to evil in this world for me.