The Information Age

The Information Age is a myth that's been promulgated by
psuedo-progressives invested in computer and networking
technologies. And who want us to believe they are doing
wonderful things to save the planet.

Supposedly, we have moved from the Industrial Age to the
Information Age.

The illusion being spun here is that there are no more of those
nasty Earth-raping Industries, there's just Information
being traded, and isn't this just wonderful!

Except that the truth is that the so-called "Information Age"
has brought us numerous new, and highly destructive,
Industries. Hi-tech means that many different mines
are needed, and many manufacturing steps. Lots of
energy.

The Industrial Age has not passed, there is MORE
Industry on the planet because of the so-called
"Information Age".

The Internet has become the world's
largest shopping mall, where material things are sold
directly.

There's a LOT more of that than there is trading of
information. And 99.9% of all the Information being
sold on the Internet is only valuable because it relates
directly or indirectly to material things that are for sale.

There is no "Information Age".

It's a Myth.

Littlefoot

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine." REM

 

You are a person who's glass is half empty.

The information age is just that because of the new worlld conciousness that is born from people, who for the first time, can freely trade ideas and information without an "official version" the government used to hand out to us.

We can find things out for ourselves now.

While what you say is true, time will adjust things to a more balanced perspective in the future. This is all still so new. It would be premature to judge it before it's had time to settle.


x

 

It's a digital revolution

 

I am a person who refuses to believe bullshit.

That's an exaggeration. We have always had 'radical' literature available.
And phones. And the mails. And amateur radio. And shortwave broadcasts
from around the world. People who were interested found out what they wanted to know.
And communicated with each other.

Now people can freely post whatever they want on the Internet and there
is no way of telling whether it is truth or not. Much of the stuff on the web
is pure garbage. It is too easy. And too anonymous.

And what kind of information do people mostly choose to avail themselves of?
Pornography. Pop music. Pop videos. Stolen mainstream movies.
Video games. Airhead chat rooms. Shopping on line. Reading the mainstream
news. Banking. Chatty emails. Business emails.

There. I've just accounted for 99% of the bandwidth.

Or maybe you find bullshit. Sure is a lot of it.

But I am being too contrary here. You have a point, and a good one.

We can very effectively communicate (text and static graphics) via the Internet
with computers that existed in the early 80's. It is becoming the exclusive
province of the elite of the world because of the cost of the hardware and software required by the ISPs, and the cost of the connection. And the fact that
entertainment and advertising are eating up most of the bandwidth.

This is counter-revolutionary.

LIttlefoot

 

Your fingers are revolving? I'd see a doctor immediately.



How about some details?

Littlefoot

 

The internet is a child. About 13, by most folk's reckoning. Windows 95 opened up computers to the mainstream. (I remember when computers had tubes)

A person's computer is a mirror image of a person's own makeup. It reflects their likes and dislikes. The net itself is a reflection of millions of people just like yourself. It's very much a democratic process.

The net does alot of good, and this should not be overlooked.


x

 

It is deteriorating rapidly, having been taken over by business interests
controlled by investors who are interested in making money above all
things.

It is rapidly becoming the exclusive playground of the world's elite, the
top (materially speaking) 10% of the population, who don't care about
people who don't have the money to buy their goods and services and
certainly don't want people who are against the environmental destruction
and human exploitation their empire is based upon to have a voice.

No. Kids are not given the option of anything but entertainment-oriented,
hardware and software bloated computers.

Democratic if you have the money to access it. I don't call that democracy.

Like what? And how much bad does it do? The kids I've met who have
been raised by the Internet are, literally, sociopaths.

They don't relate to the real world or real people at all. They 'communicate'
via notebook computers and cellphone computers and ipod computers and
that's it.

If you told them they were killing real people with a pariticular video game
they'd just laugh and think that it was really far out.

Littlefoot

 

Revisited

The main problem on the Internet is that even though anyone can post
any radical or progressive ideas they want, the corporations and governmens
(there is no real difference in these times) can also post whatever they
want.

With their resources, they can put up 10 disinformation sites to counterract
every information site. Specifically targetted at a particlular site, desgned
to appear to be a 'radical' site.

They can hire as many people as they want to post in chat rooms and
web forums and the usenet, contradicting the people who are posting
things their employers don't want to be taken seriously.

The average person looking for answers on the Internet is met with
such a barrage of conflicting information, all from supposedly 'radical'
sites and 'radical' people, that all they end up with is confusion.

Littlefoot

 

This reminds me of the anime series "Ghost in the Shell". (note: I rented it and payed for it in person.)

Ghost in the Shell portrays our future in the eye's of the author. Every living human is connected to a network that is far beyond mankinds own understanding. There is a computer inside each person, and everyone is always 'connected'. This brings about exotic crime that may include hacking a persons senses (visuals, halucinations) and even their mind. It also includes cybernetic body parts, such as arms, legs, and cybernetic eyes. Yet, the characters always meet in person, not on the net. I could go into detail but it isn't necessary.

I guess what I'm getting at here is that humans may be completely consumed by computers but they still find a way to socialize, in person, and to completely survive. It may be sad that some people need computers to do their communicating, but humans are still able to reproduce.

I do think it is sad that some people chose poor quality means of socialization such as MySpace. That is the epiphany of the "Look at me!" generation. Narcissistic sociopaths. I am not speaking against anyone in particular but I would like to relate this to Littlefoot's thread.

I really like this quote. It is like "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

 

did you know that people are making a new internet, its going to be an only fact and scientific theory internet. so if you think about it it will be a collective of all mankinds knowlege. then we might be in the information age.

 

That's cool. I wonder how much it will cost.

Oh. btw, it is Internet with a capitol I. So, they would be developing a Scientific Theory Net or Intranet. There is only one Internet. Internet is a proper noun, not a lower case noun. Look at Internet as Atlanta, and net as city.

That would be a very cool idea. Who or what group is organizing this intranet?

 

That sounds like an idea that only someone who spends their life listening
to vapid music, playing kiddie video games, watching endless videos,
movies and TV shows, posting garbage on web forums and in chatrooms,
and blabbing or texting into a cellphone would come up with.

Their mind is simply gone.

They don't call them "videots" for nothing.

You don't know Adderall_Assasin (who can't assassinate anything
but reason) do you?


Littlefoot

 

On the other thread you condemned me for wandering off topic.

Do you know what 'hypocrisy' is?

Looks to me as if you are just determined to suppress any talk that is critical of
technology.

Changing the subject is one way to do that.

Will you be bringing in some of your sockpuppets to make it look as if
the above gibberish is actually rational?

Have you seen these people 'socailaizing' in Starbucks? They sit
by themselves and stare at their computer screens, for god's sake!
Or talk on their cellphones to people who aren't there.

Littlefoot

 

Chillax. I was trying to relate to your topic so maybe we could have something in common.

Really, I am not here to argue. Excuse my rude interuption, if that's what you think it was.

 

We share a love of computers and the internet. I just understand that we have to
put limits on it.

Virtual reality is made possible by a very physical, and very destructive,
industrial complex and infrastructure.

I simply am not a part of your subculture. I don't even know what "anime" is
and I don't care. I lack your reference points. Maybe you were actually on-topic
and I was off-base.

We've been interacting for a while now. And it's quite clear that you _are_
here (in the general sense) to argue with me. And that's fine.

But it should be as clear as possible, using references that everyone
can understand. I don't have a TV. 10's of millions of people in America,
not to mention the rest of the world, don't.

I see one every once in a while, and they shock me. Such a fountain
of commercially-motivated propaganda, and as obnoxious as hell.
Never heard and seen so many lies strung end-to-end-to-end.

Littlefoot

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine." REM

 

I don't really like watching cable TV either, just movies that I rent/own. My girlfriend thinks I am weird.

I feel relatively the same way. TV is a "hypnobox"; usually a distorted shape of our world, filled with marketing. Some of the things that turned me away are commercials, the NEWS, and drama. My G0d, the NEWS on TV blows everything way out of proportion. They act like they are the ultimate judge to define what is right and what is wrong. I could go on, but it is boring to dwell on my negative thoughts of TV.

 

So you are not too far gone. Good

Much of the Internet, the Web, is like that too. Ads everywhere, often so many and
so intrusive, that you can't find or concentrate on the useful information that is
allegedly there. I usually disable image-downloading in Firefox, enabling it only
if images are an important part of the information I am seeking.

I block popups, don't download the sound files, and I wouldn't download and
install the "plug-ins" they are always trying to shove down my throat for
anyhing.

I see that once again you are ignoring what I have said about the physical
and human rights impact of the Internet as it is.

What's that now, about 12 times you have ignored this issue? It's not
going to disappear because you don't want to face it.

Littlefoot

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine." REM

 

I suppose I am not catching on to the physical/human rights impact for the Internet.

 

Then I guess you weren't actually reading my posts.
I see no point in repeating it here again.

You obviously don't want to hear it.

You want to think that all of technology is wonderful.

It isn't. You are a very priveleged person in global terms. You are
isolated, mentally and physcailly, from what is done to the Earth
and to People to make your lifestyle possible.

This is no accident. I highly recommend that you read Howard Zinn's
"A People's History of the U.S."

Littlefoot

 

At first I had no idea what you were talking about. Then I thought to myself, well maybe the reason why I don't know is because I was born into this world the way it is. I haven't seen the world in your eye's. I just can't compare it to before the desktop computer.

I can say that I drive low emissions, high fuel economy vehicles to my campus. And that I use those new energy saving light bulbs that use 7 watts. I can't say that my computer uses low energy though. As for the materials it's made from, hopefully I will never have to recycle it.

Over in Japan they have something called dis-assembly plants. They take old electronics/technology and break them down to be reused or recycled. Nothing goes to waste. The use should impose a similiar action.