It's late for me to come and listen in real time (I'm a very early riser and sleeper), but I hope the recording will be posted online. I started reading the book but gave up soon, too much BS.
Max, as you point out early on in this article, new ideas are often rejected early on. From my upcoming article: "And like the smartphone, innovation is often immediately subject to scorn and dismissed, even by those who should know better. The CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, had this to say about the iPhone when it was first introduced, "...[the iPhone] is the most expensive phone in the world…it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard.” He further went on to say that there was “no chance” that the iPhone would gain significant market share.
Keep pushing new ideas until people begin to accept them.
First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Ghandi's quote applies well to many technological innovations. While writing my cryonics book, I thought again about the strong objections to IVF and embryo freezing, which is now routine and largely accepted. I'm sure the same will be true of life extension and other transhumanist goals.
First was the age of abject poverty; then plain poverty with the advent of settled agriculture; then the escape from poverty for a minority with the first industrial revolution starting mid-18th century CE; then limited abundance by mid-20th century; near complete abundance by 2020 CE. The next stage is superabundance by 2050.
Superabundance will accelerate transhumanist goals.
(Pardon me for nitpicking. That quote about "first they ignore you, then laugh at you, ..." is frequently misattributed to Gandhi. There's no evidence that he ever said or wrote that. See https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/first-they-ignore-you/)
Looking at the history of engineering and technology in the context of capital, do you not foresee conflict between your espoused manifesto and the de facto manifesto of the power structures which will enable it?
The smartphone is still subject to scorn based on it's capability to hijack people's minds causing them to fall down open manholes.
People have become smartphone zombies. Everywhere I look I see people in motion glued to a smartphone or couples and families happily ignoring each other in cafes while they stare at their little screens.
Obviously, smartphones have their uses, but 2 factor authentication shouldn't be one of them. And the alternatives being pushed just tip us more into biometric digital ID hell where tech gods will decide who gets to play and who doesn't. We're almost there.
I rarely use my phone for social media (only if I'm traveling and something is urgent). It's great for directions, email, and reading. With any technology, it's up to us an individuals to decide how much and in what way to use it. We're still in the early period with these devices where many people have probably not made optimal choices -- although I hesitate to criticize people with differing desires and needs.
Yes, I use the simplest smartphone model in a similar way... to pass the time when I'm out somewhere and to receive messages or calls. They certainly are capable of many more functions but I think most people are scrolling Instagram etc.
What I have a problem with is the obsessive location tracking and bloatware that comes with these devices and laptops more than the device itself. It's the way that Microsoft and Google as well as all other Big Tech want to spy on every aspect of your life as standard. And operating systems should really come with the basic core only to which we could then add extra functions as we choose.
Surely the next phase involves plugging users in even more through Neuralink and mixed reality glasses or contact lenses. I wonder how many will jump into that pond. Even now you can put a phone down or toss it away. Not so with neural implants. That said, most people's brains are already hijacked in one way or another so what difference does it make.
It's late for me to come and listen in real time (I'm a very early riser and sleeper), but I hope the recording will be posted online. I started reading the book but gave up soon, too much BS.
Max, as you point out early on in this article, new ideas are often rejected early on. From my upcoming article: "And like the smartphone, innovation is often immediately subject to scorn and dismissed, even by those who should know better. The CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, had this to say about the iPhone when it was first introduced, "...[the iPhone] is the most expensive phone in the world…it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard.” He further went on to say that there was “no chance” that the iPhone would gain significant market share.
Keep pushing new ideas until people begin to accept them.
First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Ghandi's quote applies well to many technological innovations. While writing my cryonics book, I thought again about the strong objections to IVF and embryo freezing, which is now routine and largely accepted. I'm sure the same will be true of life extension and other transhumanist goals.
First was the age of abject poverty; then plain poverty with the advent of settled agriculture; then the escape from poverty for a minority with the first industrial revolution starting mid-18th century CE; then limited abundance by mid-20th century; near complete abundance by 2020 CE. The next stage is superabundance by 2050.
Superabundance will accelerate transhumanist goals.
(Pardon me for nitpicking. That quote about "first they ignore you, then laugh at you, ..." is frequently misattributed to Gandhi. There's no evidence that he ever said or wrote that. See https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/first-they-ignore-you/)
Looking at the history of engineering and technology in the context of capital, do you not foresee conflict between your espoused manifesto and the de facto manifesto of the power structures which will enable it?
I think you are right. By the way, did you have a book that I may read and review for R&P?
The smartphone is still subject to scorn based on it's capability to hijack people's minds causing them to fall down open manholes.
People have become smartphone zombies. Everywhere I look I see people in motion glued to a smartphone or couples and families happily ignoring each other in cafes while they stare at their little screens.
Obviously, smartphones have their uses, but 2 factor authentication shouldn't be one of them. And the alternatives being pushed just tip us more into biometric digital ID hell where tech gods will decide who gets to play and who doesn't. We're almost there.
I rarely use my phone for social media (only if I'm traveling and something is urgent). It's great for directions, email, and reading. With any technology, it's up to us an individuals to decide how much and in what way to use it. We're still in the early period with these devices where many people have probably not made optimal choices -- although I hesitate to criticize people with differing desires and needs.
Yes, I use the simplest smartphone model in a similar way... to pass the time when I'm out somewhere and to receive messages or calls. They certainly are capable of many more functions but I think most people are scrolling Instagram etc.
What I have a problem with is the obsessive location tracking and bloatware that comes with these devices and laptops more than the device itself. It's the way that Microsoft and Google as well as all other Big Tech want to spy on every aspect of your life as standard. And operating systems should really come with the basic core only to which we could then add extra functions as we choose.
Surely the next phase involves plugging users in even more through Neuralink and mixed reality glasses or contact lenses. I wonder how many will jump into that pond. Even now you can put a phone down or toss it away. Not so with neural implants. That said, most people's brains are already hijacked in one way or another so what difference does it make.