Because Big Tech, pt two/dos/deux/zwei

[Stargrunt6]

So we had some recent news about Apple being naughtysauce with their app spying.  With that, I just wanted to kick off a new thread about Silicon Valley shenanigans.

Here's some depressing futurology:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/11/shopping-i-can-t-really-remember-what-that-is/

Quote

Welcome to 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better

 

[Rick]

" I don't own anything. I don't own a car. I don't own a house. I don't own any appliances or any clothes."
Other than clothes, this is possible. You can lease appliances. 
"First communication became digitized and free to everyone. Then, when clean energy became free, things started to move quickly. Transportation dropped dramatically in price." 
Don't think so. "Free" communication means a lot of advertising on your mobile device. The rest of the sentence is wishful thinking  and leads me to believe the rest of the article is bunk. With the possible exception of  parking, owning your own car is more convenient than public transportation.
"In our city we don't pay any rent, because someone else is using our free space whenever we do not need it. My living room is used for business meetings when I am not there."
The author has never heard the term "time share." and has no idea of factual economics. There is no such thing as "free."
"Once in awhile, I will choose to cook for myself. It is easy - the necessary kitchen equipment is delivered at my door within minutes."
Define "within minutes." And how do you know how to operate said appliance. Granted the basics are the same, but every different appliance maker has a little bit different way of doing things. Would seem less aggravating and expensive just to own your appliances or lease them. 
"...circular economy" This poor soul is mentally running around in circles too much. A product and a service are two different things. Either he owns the pasta maker or he rents it. 
"...no one has an interest in things with a short life span. Everything is designed for durability, repairability and recyclability"
He's fantasizing. If one rents everything one could care less if said product is disposable or durable. Just needs to work for the amount of time you are renting it. 
"Environmental problems seem far away, since we only use clean energy and clean production methods."  How specifically is this utopia obtained in ten years?
"When AI and robots took over so much of our work, we suddenly had time to eat well, sleep well and spend time with other people." Labor saving devices have seemed to make life more busy.
 "...since the work that we do can be done at any time." Oh good God, what an idiot! Why not just use your 3D printer to make your pasta maker? Of course you can have the specific computer code and materials to manufacture the parts -- just make sure all the codes and materials are compatible for said model of pasta maker--and see if it is  more efficient and cost effective to just order the darn thing on Amazon. When this titan of intellect gets sick or injured, will his doctor see him at anytime via Uber or will the patient trust his A.I. and algorithm to make a diagnosis and treatment? No problem with narcotics being delivered by drone is there?
"My biggest concern is all the people who do not live in our city... I would not consider such folks as lost. They can have everything you are describing, the service may take a little longer that is all. 

Just my opinion, but it seems to me that with all the "free thinking and creative time" available in the author's fiction, he is taking an intellectually high road in relation to his rural brethren. 

[MiloMorai]

Author's note: Some people have read this blog as my utopia or dream of the future. It is not. It is a scenario showing where we could be heading - for better and for worse. I wrote this piece to start a discussion about some of the pros and cons of the current technological development. When we are dealing with the future, it is not enough to work with reports. We should start discussions in many new ways. This is the intention with this piece.

[Rick]

31 minutes ago, MiloMorai said:

Author's note: Some people have read this blog as my utopia or dream of the future. It is not. It is a scenario showing where we could be heading - for better and for worse. I wrote this piece to start a discussion about some of the pros and cons of the current technological development. When we are dealing with the future, it is not enough to work with reports. We should start discussions in many new ways. This is the intention with this piece.

Yea, right. The only "con" in the article is the article itself. Just my opinion of course, but what he wrote and what he claims to write about are not the same. 

[Rick]

8 minutes ago, Rick said:

Yea, right. The only "con" in the article is the article itself. Just my opinion of course, but what he wrote and what he claims to write about are not the same. 

My error, meant to write she not he. 

[Steven P Allen]

No matter its intent, it's certainly an urban wet dream for a drone.  Whoever actually thinks humans will be content to live in that fashion is spending too much time on conre durgs.  

Where does that food come from, I wonder?  

The kitchen equipment is delivered to the door in minutes?  Can you imagine the inefficiency of such a system.  The Greenies will go nuts over that, and I wouldn't blame them on this one.

[nitflegal]

This is such a combination of nonsense that it isn't even useful as a thought experiment.  Let's assume that the reason that everything is free means that nobody takes a wage but their presumed income simply goes into the state and the state then provides your rented comforts.  Which by the way means that the state has complete control over your life and thus has complete ability to dictate your behavior and punish you accordingly.  But let's set that somewhat alarmingly concept aside.  people now call for a flying car or uber whenever they want but somehow we don't have traffic jams and the like even though you can use a car as often as you like you simply don't leave it somewhere when you aren't in it.  Throw in that every time I want to make a burger some robot has to rumble over to me and carry a stove up to my apartment.  Also, do you clean your house everytime you prepare to leave it?  You'd better if your living room will be used for meetings when you leave and what will be the consequences be if you leave your sad display of empty tequila bottles and Fleshlight (which you don't own, so have fun with that rotating communal property!) for the Woke Feminist Chai Company to trip over for their brainstorming session.

[Nobu]

I know a few people who have phased actual cooking out of their lives in favor of delivery/takeout. The future is now in certain places.

[Brian Kennedy]

23 minutes ago, Nobu said:

I know a few people who have phased actual cooking out of their lives in favor of delivery/takeout. The future is now in certain places.

Although to be fair most twenty somethings I knew in NYC in the 90s did the same...

[Brian Kennedy]

I think social media is going to f@ck up society for reals, even more than it already has. I wonder if there’s even going to be a consensually agreed upon reality in 20 years. 

[bojan]

16 minutes ago, Brian Kennedy said:

Although to be fair most twenty somethings I knew in NYC in the 90s did the same...

Friend moved recently and two weeks later he still did not turn on (or even plugged in) his electric stove. Microwaves water for tea and eats only takeouts, and he is not 20something. Some people just don't give a fuck about cooking, which is sad, but their own choice.

Edited November 15, 2020 by bojan

[Ivanhoe]

1 hour ago, nitflegal said:

This is such a combination of nonsense that it isn't even useful as a thought experiment.  Let's assume that the reason that everything is free means that nobody takes a wage but their presumed income simply goes into the state and the state then provides your rented comforts.  Which by the way means that the state has complete control over your life and thus has complete ability to dictate your behavior and punish you accordingly.  But let's set that somewhat alarmingly concept aside.  people now call for a flying car or uber whenever they want but somehow we don't have traffic jams and the like even though you can use a car as often as you like you simply don't leave it somewhere when you aren't in it.  Throw in that every time I want to make a burger some robot has to rumble over to me and carry a stove up to my apartment.  Also, do you clean your house everytime you prepare to leave it?  You'd better if your living room will be used for meetings when you leave and what will be the consequences be if you leave your sad display of empty tequila bottles and Fleshlight (which you don't own, so have fun with that rotating communal property!) for the Woke Feminist Chai Company to trip over for their brainstorming session.

Communal infantilization.

I doubt there will be communal Fleshlights (for one thing, they are made of evil plastic). In the brave new world, people will be assigned sex partners by the Central Committee, and woe be any comrade who refuses their assignment (how else can the full spectrum of alphabet people get their jollies without oppressive government?).

[Jeff]

People have lost where their food comes from, now we're losing how to even boil an egg. God help us when our perfect world takes a hit and Grubhub won't deliver.

[JasonJ]

[Harold Jones]

1 hour ago, Jeff said:

People have lost where their food comes from, now we're losing how to even boil an egg. God help us when our perfect world takes a hit and Grubhub won't deliver.

It's nothing new, cooking is a chore and requires, time aptitude specialized equipment.  The Romans were big on take out 2000 years ago.  I enjoy cooking and work from home, so I cook more than average.  We could easily get by with heat and eat meals and delivery for about what I spend on ingredients weekly.

[Stargrunt6]

2 hours ago, Brian Kennedy said:

I think social media is going to f@ck up society for reals, even more than it already has. I wonder if there’s even going to be a consensually agreed upon reality in 20 years. 

MGS2 called it in the early 00s.

 

[bojan]

2 hours ago, Ivanhoe said:

I doubt there will be communal Fleshlights (for one thing, they are made of evil plastic). In the brave new world, people will be assigned sex partners by the Central Committee, and woe be any comrade who refuses their assignment (how else can the full spectrum of alphabet people get their jollies without oppressive government?).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_(novel)

[Stargrunt6]

2 hours ago, bojan said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_(novel)

Fascinating.

The late great @Typhoid Maxx once told me via FB chat "I don't do 'we'."  

[Rick]

The most depressing aspect is that the author of the original article,Ida Auken, is or was a member of Parliament(leftist of course) that could implement such absurdity.

[rmgill]

On 11/15/2020 at 9:30 AM, Rick said:

" I don't own anything. I don't own a car. I don't own a house. I don't own any appliances or any clothes."
Other than clothes, this is possible. You can lease appliances. 
"First communication became digitized and free to everyone. Then, when clean energy became free, things started to move quickly. Transportation dropped dramatically in price." 
Don't think so. "Free" communication means a lot of advertising on your mobile device. The rest of the sentence is wishful thinking  and leads me to believe the rest of the article is bunk. With the possible exception of  parking, owning your own car is more convenient than public transportation.
"In our city we don't pay any rent, because someone else is using our free space whenever we do not need it. My living room is used for business meetings when I am not there."
The author has never heard the term "time share." and has no idea of factual economics. There is no such thing as "free."
"Once in awhile, I will choose to cook for myself. It is easy - the necessary kitchen equipment is delivered at my door within minutes."
Define "within minutes." And how do you know how to operate said appliance. Granted the basics are the same, but every different appliance maker has a little bit different way of doing things. Would seem less aggravating and expensive just to own your appliances or lease them. 
"...circular economy" This poor soul is mentally running around in circles too much. A product and a service are two different things. Either he owns the pasta maker or he rents it. 
"...no one has an interest in things with a short life span. Everything is designed for durability, repairability and recyclability"
He's fantasizing. If one rents everything one could care less if said product is disposable or durable. Just needs to work for the amount of time you are renting it. 
"Environmental problems seem far away, since we only use clean energy and clean production methods."  How specifically is this utopia obtained in ten years?
"When AI and robots took over so much of our work, we suddenly had time to eat well, sleep well and spend time with other people." Labor saving devices have seemed to make life more busy.
 "...since the work that we do can be done at any time." Oh good God, what an idiot! Why not just use your 3D printer to make your pasta maker? Of course you can have the specific computer code and materials to manufacture the parts -- just make sure all the codes and materials are compatible for said model of pasta maker--and see if it is  more efficient and cost effective to just order the darn thing on Amazon. When this titan of intellect gets sick or injured, will his doctor see him at anytime via Uber or will the patient trust his A.I. and algorithm to make a diagnosis and treatment? No problem with narcotics being delivered by drone is there?
"My biggest concern is all the people who do not live in our city... I would not consider such folks as lost. They can have everything you are describing, the service may take a little longer that is all. 

Just my opinion, but it seems to me that with all the "free thinking and creative time" available in the author's fiction, he is taking an intellectually high road in relation to his rural brethren. 

Magical thinking abounds with the left on these things, especially when it comes to human nature and how folks will behave. Rented items being in good working order, sure...if it's Japan and the people returning the items have a high social responsibility. If it's Urban America or many other parts of the world...it's gonna be returned, dirty, broken, out of fuel and missing parts. 

[rmgill]

When/If we have our civil war here in the US, these folks who can't cook on their own are going to be among the first planted in graves. If they can't do basic survival tasks, they're going to be starving in very short order. 

[Harold Jones]

I suspect that not being able to cook will matter less than the fact the food distribution system will be borked.  Urban areas with million + populations are not going to abound in ingredients a couple weeks into a major conflict.

[Stargrunt6]

A friend of mine read up on the Balkan Wars of the 90's.  He told me in urban areas, those who had at least 3 months of food supplies fared well.  @bojan or anyone else, thoughts?

[bojan]

They could feel more "secure" but in the long run it did not matter as goods would run out. Also with black market that was thriving while there were people going hungry, it was near impossible to die of hunger as a civilian. Also unlike popular media representation of wars, people (usually neighbours/cousins etc.) actually helped each other. Also employed people would receive goods instead of (almost worthless) money. This functioned practically everywhere.

So while situation could be shitty it was not "Leningrad level, die of the starvation" shitty. I don't expect any kind of modern problems, barring really apocalyptic ones to result in people actually starving (vs "just" going hungry for a while). Ofc, lot of people would have to realize that eating only things you like is not a viable option, that sweets are not best sources of food and that you can survive almost indefinitely at about 1500 cals per day.

[rmgill]

What are your thoughts on what Selco Begovic wrote? 

Edited November 16, 2020 by rmgill