# Technology and the future



## Princess Ivy (Jun 27, 2005)

Douglas Adams wrote about future technology in his hitchhiker and dirk gently series. the technology had gone far off the wall. it had started as useful eg radio's with buttons and knobs; then become better : touch sensitive control to finaly annoying : motion sensitive so that if you want to listen to a show you have to sit perfectly still.
His electronic monks were inspired, who cannot relate to the overload of information in the modern world? I'd love an electronic monk to believe for me. save me a wagonload of effort. 
and there are examples in modern society. take mobile telephones. why oh why do they have to be so advanced? my very dated nokia (it makes calls and thats it) was flat. i had to use a friends phone. i couldn't even figure out how to work it! and with all the tech on board, it doesn't hold a signal as well as the older version.
so, are we in danger of making more work for ourselves by our reliance and constant improvement of technology? adams makes a very good case for it!


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## dwndrgn (Jun 28, 2005)

A perfect example of what you are talking about is the electronic company Phillips new campaign.  Their new ads promote their technically advanced products that are easy to use.  They show children and a voiceover (in a child's voice) asks "Why can't we have a product that my parents can use without saying words I'm not supposed to hear?"  and in the background you see the two adults trying to get a vcr/dvd type machine to work.

Even the electronics companies are realizing that they are creating new technologies so fast that it is hard for people to keep up.


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## NSMike (Jun 28, 2005)

I won't deny that technology is advancing a good bit and making things more complicated in its wake.  But still, consider the simple advancements we have today that seem totally logical.  My grandmother was a secretary and could use a typewriter, but put her in front of a computer with a word processor and she wouldn't know what to do.  

Of course, I'm not defending this seemingly unecessary complication of technology.  However, oversimplification of complicated things, like Adams presents, has another danger; if everything becomes simple, then no one needs to know anything to do anything anymore, and our overall intelligence is reduced.  Perhaps we should keep things a little complicated, just to keep things interesting.


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## Princess Ivy (Jul 3, 2005)

things are interesting enough in my life without the interference of technology
for eg: my tumbledrier broke down. OMG what to do? we paniced (and as a good hitchhiker that is something i should never do). got someone round to fix it. it didn't fix. my kitchen was a mess of wet washing, dirty laundry waiting to be washed and tumble drier parts.
OK, so now i took a deep breath and thought. AH! re-build the washing line! which i did. tumble drier is now history, kitchen has more room, and i get the extra excersise of hanging my laundry out and taking it in. plus the clothes smell of the great birmingham outdoors (ok, so maybe not a plus). the point is, we spend £100 on a tumble drier that we don't need in summer! it has cost us a fortune in electricity, the house was always humid and my hayfever got really bad with the dust and fluff. it wasn't nessessary!
sorry, also just read a phill rickman in which a bloke goes mental living under powerlines, and now am a little technophobic


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## stirdgit (Jul 3, 2005)

Technology will always advance and let us all thank what ever we believe in for that.  Stagnation is far worse than confusion.

Yes, technology has made things more complicated - IT departments would not exist without technology.  But the flip side of this is, how many tech wizards would be out of work without the necessity of IT departments?  Technology is good for any economy and good for the advancement of our species.  I do not know how to use half of the stuff that exists today, but that is only because of a lack of experience.  Once, I did not know how to e-mail people, or post on sites such as this.  But I learned.  And since when is learning a bad thing?

Again, stagnation is far worse than confusion.


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## PERCON (Jul 3, 2005)

Technology is a wonderful thing. The main idea of the 21st century is to stay alert to the advances in technology and learn what they are, why they work and how to use them. Stay in tune with the times and you'll be fine...

Most of all though, don't let technology stand in the way of you enjoying your life, don't let anything stop you! Live your life to the fullest!

_PERCON - "Defined as a hotdog with no onions"_


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## GOLLUM (Jul 4, 2005)

PERCON said:
			
		

> Technology is a wonderful thing._PERCON - "Defined as a hotdog with no onions"_


I too like certain aspects of the way technology has asissted society but I wouldn't go as far as to make a general statement about Technolgy being wonderful. YES technology can be great in many ways but as a society I think we need to be a little careful of not falling blindly in love with Tecnology or esle it will end up ruling us as it already does in many ways. Like anything it should be viewed as a tool or means to and end but not the end itself otherwise  feel we become to much a lsave to technology rather than its potential to liberate us as a society. 

In fairness Percon you did qualify your staement by suggesting Technolgy is great as long as it doesn't get in the way of us living but in a way large organised groups of people are already being ruled by Technolgoy, look to our dependency on electricity as one case in point.

A few of my thoughts on this matter anyway...


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## GOLLUM (Jul 4, 2005)

NSMike said:
			
		

> Of course, I'm not defending this seemingly unecessary complication of technology.  However, oversimplification of complicated things, like Adams presents, has another danger; if everything becomes simple, then no one needs to know anything to do anything anymore, and our overall intelligence is reduced.  Perhaps we should keep things a little complicated, just to keep things interesting.


HMM.. interesting comments there NS Mike. I'd agree to an extent with this comment but I'm not sure you can make such a direct link between intelligence and the advancement of technology.

ARGHH.. what's happening here you ask? Gollum being serious for a change....


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## Princess Ivy (Jul 4, 2005)

GOLLUM said:
			
		

> In fairness Percon you did qualify your staement by suggesting Technolgy is great as long as it doesn't get in the way of us living but in a way large organised groups of people are already being ruled by Technolgoy, look to our dependency on electricity as one case in point.
> 
> A few of my thoughts on this matter anyway...


sorry, i waffle. my point is that technology is useful to a point, then it just becomes a nuissance.
(I'd just like to note that i am still a bit nervous as around powerlines. rickman can write a scare )


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## Eradius Lore (Jul 4, 2005)

without technology this advanced there would be no 'lean mean fat grilling machines' around


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## longplay (Jul 4, 2005)

I think the companies are currently rushing forward to produce the cutting edge: the smallest, the fastest, the highest capacity.  Mainly, this is to get one over on the competition, before they get one over on them.  I don't see this changing.

Behind them will be a bunch of usability experts who actually think how we use this and start making these things workable for mere mortals.

Hopefully, in the future, you'll have a set of standards to allow interoperability, so you can reprogramme things to work how you want, or continue using you current remote control (for example).  I think customisability is the new phenomenon, allow people to take control of their devices, phone covers, ringtones and wallpaper are the tip of the iceberg.


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## Eradius Lore (Jul 4, 2005)

i was told that you can buy a microwave oven which can be actrivated, time set etc, by a mobile phone with WAP capabilities, and this can be done from as far away as you want.


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## Princess Ivy (Jul 4, 2005)

longplay said:
			
		

> I think the companies are currently rushing forward to produce the cutting edge: the smallest, the fastest, the highest capacity. Mainly, this is to get one over on the competition, before they get one over on them. I don't see this changing.
> 
> Behind them will be a bunch of usability experts who actually think how we use this and start making these things workable for mere mortals.
> 
> Hopefully, in the future, you'll have a set of standards to allow interoperability, so you can reprogramme things to work how you want, or continue using you current remote control (for example). I think customisability is the new phenomenon, allow people to take control of their devices, phone covers, ringtones and wallpaper are the tip of the iceberg.


this is the point that DA, and i, am getting at. that as technology progresses it's beomming less friendly to the end users.


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## Princess Ivy (Jul 4, 2005)

Eradius Lore said:
			
		

> i was told that you can buy a microwave oven which can be actrivated, time set etc, by a mobile phone with WAP capabilities, and this can be done from as far away as you want.


the single biggest question on my mind, regarding that is, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO!?!?


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## longplay (Jul 5, 2005)

Only on the original iteration is the technology unfriendly.

In the same way there were calls (that were answered) for simple mobile phones and Videoplus+ took the hassle out of programming your video the technology of the future will be harnessed to make it easier.  Take the replacement for the VCR, the PVR/DVR (Personal/Digital Video Recorder), they can look at your interests and automatically record similar shows, how hard is that?


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## Eradius Lore (Jul 5, 2005)

Princess Ivy said:
			
		

> the single biggest question on my mind, regarding that is, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO!?!?


 
thats what i said, unless you put it in the microwave before you leave or have a robot to put it in for you. its just to show off with to your mates "look at my microwave it can be turned on from long distances"


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## Princess Ivy (Jul 6, 2005)

hehe, or possibly by some idiot on brainiac to proove
1. it can be done
2. what to put in a microwave to blow it up.


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## longplay (Jul 6, 2005)

Point 2 is good, how long before someone uses it as a murder weapon in CSI?


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## freebird (Jul 6, 2005)

My concern is that we have become so accustomed to technology that we begin to teach it in school as the norm, and forget the basics. It pains me to see my 12 year old being so talented at computer games and less than proficient in what I consider to be pretty easy math skills.  I think we should learn to think first, and then use technological inventions as tools, which they were invented for.
On the other hand, I am not so certain that my daughter would get up and turn the tv knobs for me, so NOBODY touch my remote control.


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## Princess Ivy (Jul 7, 2005)

longplay said:
			
		

> Point 2 is good, how long before someone uses it as a murder weapon in CSI?


bawhahahahahaha, they do seem to use everything don't they?


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