Thank You Sir. This meditation reveals a great concept in business.:
(1)COMPUTER OR PRODUCT AS TOOL TO EXTEND HUMAN ABILITIES, versus
(2) PRODUCT TO ADOPT (CONTROL) PEOPLE IN A CIRCLE DICTATED BY THE CREATOR OF THE PRODUCT.
(1) GREAT (FASCINATING) PRODUCT AS A TOOL stands almost free from negative reactions, while (2) PRODUCT TO ADOPT PEOPLE INTO A CIRCLE stands to be object of cultural rebellion. That is, people are more likely to reject undue influence or control over their lives.
I believe people will always choose FREEDOM - product (1), over RESTRICTIVE CIRCLES OF LIFE - product (2).
This exception of Steve Jobs, is that, he was designing tool - product (1), with "HUMAN SENSE OF EXCITEMENT IN FREE ENVIRONMENT" in mind. He stands to always be the preferred one on the marketplace, because most of ordinary people are driven by pleasure. YES, IPHONE IS THE PREFERRED ONE ON THE MARKETPLACE.
The thing I like about the internet is access to knowledge. I love Wikipedia. I love reading other thinkers and writers. I love movies and shows. I'm watching the new season of For All Mankind. Looking forward to watching the next episode tomorrow. I like that part of the internet. That I can stream these things.
But I don't like X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. I have a love-hate relationship with YouTube because YouTube can be amazing and it can also be like X, Facebook, Instagram and TIkTok. You really have to be disciplined with YouTube to avoid that.
I mostly like Substack. I am worried about if it will turn evil and extractive one day like all successful platforms seem to in the end. If it does, I'll re-evaluate my presence on it.
The internet mostly just powers our communications, including the backends of commerce. When you pay with credit card or your phone at a store, you're paying using the internet. It used to use phone lines and was a much more expensive for businesses to operate, and that made it hard for small businesses to accept cards. So the internet makes it easier for small businesses to accept all forms of payment, rather than being cash-only businesses. That's a benefit that people don't think about normally. But that's the internet too!
I’m a retired industrial designer. I spent my career designing machinery for industrial automation.
When I started in the 1980s, delivering a machine took at least six months from the moment an order was placed. By the time I retired two years ago, that timeline had been cut in half.
The internet has been one of the key drivers behind this dramatic leap in productivity. Its consequences are wide-ranging, with both light and shadow. The world has been transformed.
Automation has eliminated many jobs that were, in truth, a kind of life sentence—defined by monotony and physical hardship. In its time, the first Industrial Revolution brought about a similar shift.
What is all too easy to forget is that technology should serve a human purpose. Humanism should remain at the center of our decisions.
Thank You Sir. This meditation reveals a great concept in business.:
(1)COMPUTER OR PRODUCT AS TOOL TO EXTEND HUMAN ABILITIES, versus
(2) PRODUCT TO ADOPT (CONTROL) PEOPLE IN A CIRCLE DICTATED BY THE CREATOR OF THE PRODUCT.
(1) GREAT (FASCINATING) PRODUCT AS A TOOL stands almost free from negative reactions, while (2) PRODUCT TO ADOPT PEOPLE INTO A CIRCLE stands to be object of cultural rebellion. That is, people are more likely to reject undue influence or control over their lives.
I believe people will always choose FREEDOM - product (1), over RESTRICTIVE CIRCLES OF LIFE - product (2).
This exception of Steve Jobs, is that, he was designing tool - product (1), with "HUMAN SENSE OF EXCITEMENT IN FREE ENVIRONMENT" in mind. He stands to always be the preferred one on the marketplace, because most of ordinary people are driven by pleasure. YES, IPHONE IS THE PREFERRED ONE ON THE MARKETPLACE.
Sincerely,
Rodolphe Nogbou
Do you know? I remember life before the www.
Life then was fine. We thought IT would bring people together and create peace. If has done the opposite.
So I disagree with you. The internet has really bought zero benefits.
The thing I like about the internet is access to knowledge. I love Wikipedia. I love reading other thinkers and writers. I love movies and shows. I'm watching the new season of For All Mankind. Looking forward to watching the next episode tomorrow. I like that part of the internet. That I can stream these things.
But I don't like X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. I have a love-hate relationship with YouTube because YouTube can be amazing and it can also be like X, Facebook, Instagram and TIkTok. You really have to be disciplined with YouTube to avoid that.
I mostly like Substack. I am worried about if it will turn evil and extractive one day like all successful platforms seem to in the end. If it does, I'll re-evaluate my presence on it.
The internet mostly just powers our communications, including the backends of commerce. When you pay with credit card or your phone at a store, you're paying using the internet. It used to use phone lines and was a much more expensive for businesses to operate, and that made it hard for small businesses to accept cards. So the internet makes it easier for small businesses to accept all forms of payment, rather than being cash-only businesses. That's a benefit that people don't think about normally. But that's the internet too!
So I think it's mixed-bag!
There’s lots of things we like about the internet. Few would want to live without it.
But…
Are people happier now? No
Is there less mental stress and depression? No
Is there less war?
No
Are human rights and freedom spreading?
No
Do people have a better understanding of the world?
Rarely
Are people wealthier?
No
So in the developed world ,at least, it has had no overall benefit.
I’m a retired industrial designer. I spent my career designing machinery for industrial automation.
When I started in the 1980s, delivering a machine took at least six months from the moment an order was placed. By the time I retired two years ago, that timeline had been cut in half.
The internet has been one of the key drivers behind this dramatic leap in productivity. Its consequences are wide-ranging, with both light and shadow. The world has been transformed.
Automation has eliminated many jobs that were, in truth, a kind of life sentence—defined by monotony and physical hardship. In its time, the first Industrial Revolution brought about a similar shift.
What is all too easy to forget is that technology should serve a human purpose. Humanism should remain at the center of our decisions.
That is the struggle we are facing today.