Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Singularity is here, but did you really want it?


As discussed on the television news it is coming faster than ever... Speed of Light limited, of course.

I did catch the Parking Rage that drivers are now killing other drivers over parking slots, remembering that there are people on I5 shooting other people in Road Rage for perceived slights and bad manners or bad driving. Justification? No, but once one has a REASON for the stupidity one has control of a solution, or so we would think. But then we aren't really thinking a lot now.

So, the power surged or blew off and your computer is now not working well. The cows are still calving, the milk still needs collected, the cows must be fed, the snow is deep and dangerous. And you really want more tied to technology why? I make a cup of coffee while I wait for the computer to load my software - I don't use Skype.com too much because I have to perform and can't do all the multi-taskings of my day in front of the viewers. The human mind is quicker than the electronic processing power, we are just too lazy to harness our ability. How long does it take you to find the answer to 2 times 2, how long that calculator if you don't push the buttons? I got you Watson, I ate oatmeal and am not on the power grid, try that! (actually I wrote Wilson, thinking of Castaway - it took three views of that movie to get me to understand why Wilson's name was Wilson)

Concrete examples of why technology isn't of itself important. The government of the United States of America knows exactly how many tax paying jobs there are in America, they know exactly how many people are drawing un-employment, they know exactly how much money they have in revenues, how much they have borrowed and how much to repay, they know exactly how to get out of debt, they know exactly how many vehicles are legally on the highways, they know exactly how much fuel they are buying, they know exactly whatever they want to count. But that has little to do with their 'feel good button', and government policy is made on that 'feel good button' not facts.

Technology causes texting accidents, texting assaults and other foolishness. And they want to link you tighter to the rest of us? I like being totally afraid to ask a beautiful girl to the Prom, for fear of rejection. Had a friend who wasn't afraid to ask for me - but that wasn't cool. Miles Standish where are you now? Information overload is exactly why the Singularity won't work, as a baby with all nerves open and sending stuff to mull over to the baby's brain - it doesn't act upon most of it. Situational awareness is gone - been to a coffee shoppe with WiFi? Doesn't do political discussion like they did in the 1700s, because your linked in the net, and they do call it a net for a reason... ask those fish over there. You exchange views with someone far away, that actually could be asleep as you text or email them, if it doesn't go into the junk box - they may answer.

Technology provides tools, and I like tools, but it isn't going to change me from a fumbling old man. The speed will be too fast, or it will be too slow, and I will muddle around until I find just right. And cause someone road rage because I am not using all the capability of machines and technology they can provide. I will still love y'all even when the power goes out. Try that, Watson!

1 comment:

threecollie said...

I loves me my Interwebs! And the people I meet there.
Another calf this afternoon.