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.
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!
What do you think of Jaron Laniers' idea that if we paid for access to sites like Facebook, so we were the customer rather than the product, that many of these downsides would be overcome?
I generally agree. Substack is arguably an example of this. It is funded by paid subscriptions and has no advertising-based revenue. And it is all-round, the most pleasant of all the alternatives.
I remember the internet before it was co-opted by capitalists, back then netiquette actually was a thing and the internet did contribute to my quality of life as well as that of many friends, family and associates.
... but yeah, today the WWW mostly just amplifies the absolute worst of human qualities enabling grifters to milk the masses while broligarchs in their hubris are destroying us all in the vain hope of buying immortality and transforming themselves into demonic gods.
Nonetheless, it's not the technology that's bad, it's the implementation and weaponization of the technology that's the problem. We need to enforce antitrust laws, consumer protection laws and otherwise fix our society's broken incentive structure.
Exactly why I quit Twitter "that was" after Muck came in and stunk it up. He clearly insists upon fealty to his reality or oblivion. I chose to exit stage left.
I also remember the early days. The ABSOLUTE COOPERATION that drove the HOMEBREW club to share early PC discoveries—a bunch of HIPPIES soaking in hot tubs in Silicon Valley only to be jumped by Bill Gates (Facebook similarly wrestled to the ground). Steve Jobs did have the right stuff. Capitalism has run amok amongst us all. Read “The plot to get Bill Gates” if you can about the early days.
I appreciate what you do, Mike, but Tim Berners-Lee did not invent the world's first web browser. He was instrumental in a lot of the internet's infrastructure, but not that part. Sorry - just felt it was worth pointing out.
Pure Mike Brock, pure in the sense that he loves and is kind and he reveals himself in his work, dedication and belief in good are pure aims that in today’s world struggle against the aims of others whose motivations are not. Maybe the world has always been this way but today we rapidly see the what others are doing to corrupt and take for themselves, wealth, power, we see and hear them constantly in real time and it is demoralizing. I live with a man like Mike, his life dedicated to a very specific environmental issue for over 50 years he has worked around the world helping people with this work, encouraging, teaching and he still does it every day. He has watched the world change from pure belief in an environmental imperative to greed, indifference, money and yet he works on to hold things together, to keep what he believes is right and good alive. Imperative — crucial, necessary, right and greater good, these are things that some people cannot live without, these are the reasons they get up everyday and work on.
But for these people we would be a world of Musks whose imperatives are self, greed, power, megalomania. I both love and hate the dynamic that I watch everyday, the clash between the pure believers in greater good and the ones who would have it for themselves. And on it goes — but for the guys who care we would be losing this fight and I wish them strength to walk on in their quest.
One of the things I don't like about the internet that the tech bros are fond of parroting, is 'democratisation' - of information, of creativity etc. Coopting and corrupting that word to justify all the horrors the internet also injected into our lives without permission. It 'democratised' kiddie porn, it 'democratised' the news to the point where it killed journalism, it 'democratised' entertainment so our kids are watching YouTubers with zero curation instead of the carefully monitored cartoons and kid's shows most of us oldies where raised on. It 'democratised' a lot of creative people out of jobs - writers, photographers, illustrators, musicians... And now we're afloat in a sea of shite squirted out by the masses on social media. Honestly, as much as I like technology too, and can't deny some of the positive things the internet brought us, I wish it had never been invented.
I hope that you can find work that brings you some joy. Choosing to do something out of a sense of moral duty is commendable, but that choice of work doesn't have to be all-consuming. Yes, your audience is deeply appreciative of the time you take to create your thoughtful and illuminating work, and we, and the country, benefit from it. But I think it's safe to say that none of us would want the happy or joyful parts of Mike to be lost because of your service.
Your children still need a healthy dad, and you, like any human being, deserve happiness and joy.
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.
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!
What do you think of Jaron Laniers' idea that if we paid for access to sites like Facebook, so we were the customer rather than the product, that many of these downsides would be overcome?
I generally agree. Substack is arguably an example of this. It is funded by paid subscriptions and has no advertising-based revenue. And it is all-round, the most pleasant of all the alternatives.
I remember the internet before it was co-opted by capitalists, back then netiquette actually was a thing and the internet did contribute to my quality of life as well as that of many friends, family and associates.
... but yeah, today the WWW mostly just amplifies the absolute worst of human qualities enabling grifters to milk the masses while broligarchs in their hubris are destroying us all in the vain hope of buying immortality and transforming themselves into demonic gods.
Nonetheless, it's not the technology that's bad, it's the implementation and weaponization of the technology that's the problem. We need to enforce antitrust laws, consumer protection laws and otherwise fix our society's broken incentive structure.
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.
Exactly why I quit Twitter "that was" after Muck came in and stunk it up. He clearly insists upon fealty to his reality or oblivion. I chose to exit stage left.
I appreciate what you’ve written. A LOT.
I also remember the early days. The ABSOLUTE COOPERATION that drove the HOMEBREW club to share early PC discoveries—a bunch of HIPPIES soaking in hot tubs in Silicon Valley only to be jumped by Bill Gates (Facebook similarly wrestled to the ground). Steve Jobs did have the right stuff. Capitalism has run amok amongst us all. Read “The plot to get Bill Gates” if you can about the early days.
I appreciate what you do, Mike, but Tim Berners-Lee did not invent the world's first web browser. He was instrumental in a lot of the internet's infrastructure, but not that part. Sorry - just felt it was worth pointing out.
You are incorrect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldWideWeb
Pure Mike Brock, pure in the sense that he loves and is kind and he reveals himself in his work, dedication and belief in good are pure aims that in today’s world struggle against the aims of others whose motivations are not. Maybe the world has always been this way but today we rapidly see the what others are doing to corrupt and take for themselves, wealth, power, we see and hear them constantly in real time and it is demoralizing. I live with a man like Mike, his life dedicated to a very specific environmental issue for over 50 years he has worked around the world helping people with this work, encouraging, teaching and he still does it every day. He has watched the world change from pure belief in an environmental imperative to greed, indifference, money and yet he works on to hold things together, to keep what he believes is right and good alive. Imperative — crucial, necessary, right and greater good, these are things that some people cannot live without, these are the reasons they get up everyday and work on.
But for these people we would be a world of Musks whose imperatives are self, greed, power, megalomania. I both love and hate the dynamic that I watch everyday, the clash between the pure believers in greater good and the ones who would have it for themselves. And on it goes — but for the guys who care we would be losing this fight and I wish them strength to walk on in their quest.
One of the things I don't like about the internet that the tech bros are fond of parroting, is 'democratisation' - of information, of creativity etc. Coopting and corrupting that word to justify all the horrors the internet also injected into our lives without permission. It 'democratised' kiddie porn, it 'democratised' the news to the point where it killed journalism, it 'democratised' entertainment so our kids are watching YouTubers with zero curation instead of the carefully monitored cartoons and kid's shows most of us oldies where raised on. It 'democratised' a lot of creative people out of jobs - writers, photographers, illustrators, musicians... And now we're afloat in a sea of shite squirted out by the masses on social media. Honestly, as much as I like technology too, and can't deny some of the positive things the internet brought us, I wish it had never been invented.
Yes. To all.
This made me sad on multiple levels.
I hope that you can find work that brings you some joy. Choosing to do something out of a sense of moral duty is commendable, but that choice of work doesn't have to be all-consuming. Yes, your audience is deeply appreciative of the time you take to create your thoughtful and illuminating work, and we, and the country, benefit from it. But I think it's safe to say that none of us would want the happy or joyful parts of Mike to be lost because of your service.
Your children still need a healthy dad, and you, like any human being, deserve happiness and joy.
I do like writing. It's more what I'm feeling compelled to write about that I mean.
It's not the internet per se, that you hate, but the greedy, controlling overlords of the platforms you mentioned.
Or this, choices, people make choices to embrace life and work toward a goal for good or they choose a different path.
https://augmentedman.substack.com/p/choose-one-of-five-the-power-of-poetry?r=5g5394&utm_medium=ios
I think Mike chose 5