A pretty interesting article from David Green.
The upshot is that the semantic web may act as a 'collective memory', augmenting individual brain power and accelerating the pace of human learning and discovery. But we will need to careful about controlling its development and our dependence on it if we wish to avoid the emergence of a dystopian digital dictator.
May seem as a premature warning, but who would have predicted thirty years ago just how credit cards will control our lives.. At least in this country, there isn't much one can do without a proper credit rating.. down to buying cell phone service or applying for a job.
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Yeah, especially considering the current trend of consolidation and centralization between ISPs. However worst case scenario the hackers will save us, or we can start a new internet...
#Although I agree with the quote regarding internet being as a 'collective' memory' preserving many tidbits and various other interesting things documented by individuals all over the world it has a few major downfalls.
1. Access to this medium is still controlled by Internet Service Providers (private companies for the most part) although libraries provide free access.
2. There is a huge amount of "garbage" information which might or might not be accurate.
Also, I don't agree that there is even a way to control it's development, I mean, how do they expect to acomplish it? It's spread over so many countries. It's like saying there is a way to wipe out spam...
Credit cards control our lives? That's ridiculous: these (and other financial instruments) have done wonders to provide a freedom unknown in the past. Being able to place a phone order to a merchant across the ocean and have your goods arrive a week later would have been unheard of in the past.
When's the last time you got a package C.O.D.? Or wrote a check (or gotten a money order) for a catalog order?
That some people become slaves to their own bad decisions doesn't make the "tool" the "master".
#Steve, try to lead a normal life without using credit cards.. Sure, it's a wonderful convenience they provide.. but do we really have an option of not having them?
Not having a credit history -- you might as well not exist and as far as many companies are concerned, you don't.
Someone steals your credit info and ruins your credit history.. what happens? Your life is in shambles.. you may even have problems getting a job.. renting an apartment becomes near impossible.. etc..
It's a big price we pay for this convenience.
#So Kasia mentioned this article by David Green in her blog which I found really interesting. I commented on her
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December 11, 2002 12:05 AM