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Discussion on: What have been the broken promises of computer technology?

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shiling profile image
Shi Ling

When I was young, I was so amazed by the Web, because I love books and thought of it as one big infinite library. I thought it would help make people less ignorant and cure stupidity (hey I was a precocious 10 year old!). Oh boy, was I wrong, especially with the Advent of social media and fake news. People are just so addicted to gossipy tales instead of learning about the world.

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Jean-Michel Plourde

I thought we would become a big hive mind able to cure anything, but nope cats and ads...

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ben profile image
Ben Halpern

On the other hand.... Maybe we are still so new to all of this that this is just a phase?

I mean... maybe?

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Jean-Michel Plourde

We need a serious reform on how our data is protected and handled. Right now it's far west and lobbyists make sure it stays like this. In the coming years, data will be the center of our evolution as a human species. We more than need it.

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Mike Ekkel • Edited

"This is not a phase, dad... this is who I am, this is who I will always be"

-- 14 year old me

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johnfound

Well, this infinite library is still here in the web. You simply clicked on the wrong link somewhere. :D

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David J Eddy

Truer words, never spoken.

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Ben Halpern

Damn this is way too well said

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briwa • Edited

In my opinion, I think it was a mistake in the first place to think that internet was supposed to do only good things. It's setting such a high expectation on it, while in fact it doesn't have to, so it's not exactly a broken promise, in my opinion. Just like all technologies, it has the good and the bad. Gotta take both.

Sure, some people are just so addicted to gossipy tales instead of learning about the world, but obviously a lot of people are now less ignorant, especially the younger generations. Compared to pre-internet, I think people nowadays are more self-informed, has easier access to information. Free courses online, free-licensed e-books or Wikipedia (big infinite library like you said). Curing stupidity, of course, I was one of them that got cured! If not for internet, I would've only known things they taught in school and would've not become a web developer.

You're right, though, bringing the awareness of the bad ones is important, but in my opinion, bringing up and cherishing the good ones should also be done equally.

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Scott Hannen

Sorry, my curse is to split hairs. If not for the internet, no one would be a web developer. (But I know what you mean.)

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briwa

Hahhaha, that's a good one, didn't notice that at first 😂

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Zach

I want to frame this.

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Stephanie Handsteiner

Do it, unless you don't have a printer, there's no impediment to hang this up IRL. 😁

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Peter Witham

Yep, there is nothing I can add, you said it all.

They promised us an enlightened future and all we got was bigger close minded planet-sized hate and a digital 1984.

I still have hope that future generations will take it back and forgive us.