Google Glass - a Confrontation Waiting to Happen

[don]

Re: Technology redefines our communications and social relationships

Actually, many startups these days focus specifically on bending or breaking the law. If so - I really, really doubt societal implications matter either.

Most of the so-called 'sharing' economy tech startups are just seeking to redirect an existing revenue stream to themselves - with the benefit of avoiding the existing regulatory and tax regimes.

REITs For Dummies

a bestseller in the making

[Polish_Silver]

Re: Technology redefines our communications and social relationships

This is where I would strongly strongly disagree. Technology is merely a technique for greater socail control by a smaller and smaller circle. Profit is merely a side benefit that is a secondary, not primary concern.

.

Technology has frequently had the opposite effect that you state. For example, the printing press made book knowledge available to far more people than had access to costly hand written books. This decentralized knowledge, de-mystified authority, and promoted more political equality.
Television and the internet had the same effect--the democratizing of knowlege.

Cell phones can be used as listening devices by the FBI, so that is an example of technology concentrating power.

[c1ue]

Re: Technology redefines our communications and social relationships

Television and the internet had the same effect--the democratizing of knowlege.

I'm not so sure I agree.

Television replaced much of the former presence based social networks. Control over social discourse is far easier via television than via 'hearts and minds'.

As for the internet - while I totally agree it democratizes all knowledge, it also democratizes all prejudices. You can find much of any bit of knowledge just as you can find a homey environment for any prejudice you have.

[don]

Re: Technology redefines our communications and social relationships

no question that television has made people smarter

[Polish_Silver]

TV and the Iraq war

I'm not so sure I agree.

Television replaced much of the former presence based social networks. Control over social discourse is far easier via television than via 'hearts and minds'.

As for the internet - while I totally agree it democratizes all knowledge, it also democratizes all prejudices. You can find much of any bit of knowledge just as you can find a homey environment for any prejudice you have.

Tv was murder on bowling leagues, talking with neighbors, local theatre, etc.

However I think it raised political awareness and raised the aspirations of women and blacks.

It was a big loss on the level of personal relationships, but a mixed bag on the political level.

If you take 9-11 ---> war on terror + WMD---> wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, that is a good example of using TV to frighten and trick people.

If you consider Vietnam, though, I think TV was a major factor in making the war unpopular. Upper middle class people didn't have children in combat (college draft deferment). But they did see the body bags and coffins coming off the planes.

In the Iraq war, the TV networks respected the family privacy---the coffins were not shown, preventing the public outcry that would have occured had Vietnam era journalism occured. TV journalism is not nearly as harding hitting as it should be--I guess it's that damn profit motive/commercial sponsors thing.

PBS comes closer, but they are too polite.

[don]

Re: TV and the Iraq war

Reading your list it's easy to see when TV informs the general population to make political decisions that run counter to official policy it's redirected so that's unlikely to happen again. We've had TV for half a century now and much has been lost from the once thought Great Liberator. On balance TV is now more a controlling device than an exchange of ideas medium. As Goebbels supposedly said, if we had television we would have won. Or was that Goering?

[Forrest]

Re: TV and the Iraq war

Another good reason not to bother with anything except the odd good series, or a movie...otherwise give me fine music, and a book.

[Polish_Silver]

Re: TV and the Iraq war

Reading your list it's easy to see when TV informs the general population to make political decisions that run counter to official policy it's redirected so that's unlikely to happen again. We've had TV for half a century now and much has been lost from the once thought Great Liberator. On balance TV is now more a controlling device than an exchange of ideas medium. As Goebbels supposedly said, if we had television we would have won. Or was that Goering?

I think there is something to that. With Cable you hope for diversity. But critical political thinking broadcast TV hasn't happened.
PBS is the closest. I have heard there are private cable channels that are fairly high quality. I don't know if they do news/history.

Ignoring the war mongering dimension, I think TV has democratized culture and information to a great degree. By debunking authority, people are much less servile.

[shiny!]

Re: TV and the Iraq war

Another good reason not to bother with anything except the odd good series, or a movie...otherwise give me fine music, and a book.

+1

[don]

Re: TV and the Iraq war

By debunking authority, people are much less servile.

Making us free, or at least heavily discounted . . . .

[reggie]

Re: Technology redefines our communications and social relationships

Technology has frequently had the opposite effect that you state. For example, the printing press made book knowledge available to far more people than had access to costly hand written books. This decentralized knowledge, de-mystified authority, and promoted more political equality.
Television and the internet had the same effect--the democratizing of knowlege.

Cell phones can be used as listening devices by the FBI, so that is an example of technology concentrating power.

What do you mean when you say the word "knowledge"? I'm being very serious here. When one actually begins to unpack the meaning of the word "knowledge" as practically deployed in modernity, I think you'll find that your statement is oxymoronic ... with all due respect.

[reggie]

Re: Google Glass - a Confrontation Waiting to Happen

On a lighter note....

[don]

Re: Google Glass - a Confrontation Waiting to Happen

Glasshole - I like it!

[Polish_Silver]

book knowledge

What do you mean when you say the word "knowledge"? I'm being very serious here. When one actually begins to unpack the meaning of the word "knowledge" as practically deployed in modernity, I think you'll find that your statement is oxymoronic ... with all due respect.

book knowledge just means knowledge obtained from books. That includes quite a range of scientific and historical information. I think it's much easier to manipulate ignorant people.

[reggie]

Re: book knowledge

book knowledge just means knowledge obtained from books. That includes quite a range of scientific and historical information. I think it's much easier to manipulate ignorant people.

I guess I simply don't understand the definitations that you're using here. What is "ignorant", exactly? Is it not knowing what everyone else knows? Is it not knowing what some so-called educated class knows? Is it not knowing what the authorized institutions communicate? Break it down for me on a bio-physical level in terms of how the brain functions.