There is no denying that Doug Engelbart changed the world and the way we perceive problems and information in a very profound way. I wonder, however, if he considered the reciprocal effects of the changes he was catalyzing. He talks about the ways in which computers will facilitate quicker organization of ideas, and more readily available trees of information, but I am not sure that he foresees the profound way in which computers would alter human consciousness positively AND negatively.
This is not to say that computers are the first example of this. Throughout history, there has been a back-and-forth relationship between mankind and the augmentations we create. Humans enslave their material environment, and to return the favor the material world enslaves humans. It is easy to see what humans have gained through computers in the areas of "progress" and "efficiency" (for whatever these goals are worth) but what is less obvious is what we have irreversibly lost. Computers allow us to move faster and faster, but what is the point of moving faster unless you are moving in the right direction?
Do computers tear us away from the flow of energy through the Universe, or do they allow us to be more in touch with it?
Interesting. Very interesting. I would have to say that computers are not tearing us away from the flow of energy through the Universe, perhaps away from our families, or friends, but not the way of the world. And even then, one could argue that computers bring us closer to our loved ones as a form of communication through facebook, skype, and other forms of communication. You are right. Computers did help us in progress and efficiency, but I am also convinced that we are moving in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteThis is an extremely thought provoking post, since it does make you wonder whether technology has altered our world in a positive OR a negative way. In the past, technology was certainly a threat to all those employees that were being replaced by machines (as we even saw in the episode of "The Twilight Zone"). Hence, for all those who were affected in the past, technology was probably scary and overpowering. However, if we look into the present, many of us consider computers as either a "tool," or a form of entertainment. We do not realize that this rapid technological advancement will eventually take over the entire world and actually become scary as it was in the past.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question with another question, what exactly do you mean by computer. If you say computer is a machine that provide us information, then I don't see the difference between that and a text book (may be quicker?). On the other hand, if by computer you mean the machine that people misuse, then it surely have negative effect. So, I agree with your point that computer can and will move us positively and negatively. In the end of the day, it is up to the users to decide (just like everything else).
ReplyDeleteGetting information faster and faster does not allow absorption or contemplation and perhaps we begin spinning a bit out of control? A subtle perhaps unexpected sidebar to digital technologies. Moderation?
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