These kinds of readings irritate me. They present a wonderful picture, but only when everything goes right. When all the automated thingies in the environment can correctly anticipate your next action. When you don't do the unexpected, or the unexpected doesn't pop up somewhere in the surroundings.
Who's life is that? Not mine. In the above scenario: 1) the alarm clock would wake me up on my day off because I forgot to notify it; 2) the Internet is down and I can't connect outside my house; 3) my arm is in a cast so making decent gestures at my desktop 'computer' is real chore, if not impossible; and 4) my wife is extremely pissed at me for not being able to fix a damn thing in our house. Then a major storm tears through the neighborhood, my roof is half torn off, rainwater gets everywhere and all the electronics go absolutely apeshit.
Tell me what happens when things go wrong, not right. At least a little bit, to provide some much-needed reality.
That piece of writing was neither very good nor very entertaining. I can recommend Cory Doctorow's writing for more realistic views of what the future (close present) might have for us. He goes in multiple direction depending on his current writing. It is most of the time very enjoyable.
I just saw two new titles on his website. i know what I will read tonight! BTW, all his novels and books are released under creative commons, you can get the book in electronic format on his website.
So much bullshit (Score:5, Insightful)
These kinds of readings irritate me. They present a wonderful picture, but only when everything goes right. When all the automated thingies in the environment can correctly anticipate your next action. When you don't do the unexpected, or the unexpected doesn't pop up somewhere in the surroundings.
Who's life is that? Not mine. In the above scenario: 1) the alarm clock would wake me up on my day off because I forgot to notify it; 2) the Internet is down and I can't connect outside my house; 3) my arm is in a cast so making decent gestures at my desktop 'computer' is real chore, if not impossible; and 4) my wife is extremely pissed at me for not being able to fix a damn thing in our house. Then a major storm tears through the neighborhood, my roof is half torn off, rainwater gets everywhere and all the electronics go absolutely apeshit.
Tell me what happens when things go wrong, not right. At least a little bit, to provide some much-needed reality.
Re: (Score:3)
Relevant to this kind of thinking: "Even in the future, nothing works!" - Dark Helmet
Re: (Score:1)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Will_Come_Soft_Rains_(short_story) [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
That piece of writing was neither very good nor very entertaining. I can recommend Cory Doctorow's writing for more realistic views of what the future (close present) might have for us. He goes in multiple direction depending on his current writing. It is most of the time very enjoyable.
http://craphound.com/ [craphound.com]
I just saw two new titles on his website. i know what I will read tonight! BTW, all his novels and books are released under creative commons, you can get the book in electronic format on his website.
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, if you read it carefully you'll see it's not a utopia.. there are nods to freedom lost, and a general sense of powerlessness.