Re: Off the Grid

Just read Steven Fry’s essay Off the Grid (stephenfry.com). Just a few thoughts:

I’ve been thinking lately about making a video discussing how unique it is that my life will be one of the few that has straddled the time between people having mobile devices and the use of the Internet being commonplace, to there not being mobile devices or an Internet.

And then also there was that really cool, interesting time when the Internet was young, and when there were no mobile devices but early computers. There is a lot to write about that time.

I will just say this: Compared to before, things suck now. Connections were better. Events were better. There were more things to do. The types of people you would meet were more interesting. And you would meet people more often. The connections were better – oh, I already said that. Ambiance everywhere was way better.

There was a mysterious side to things which humans need. You would see a flyer for some event and it was like this mysterious unknown, a journey into some other realm which might turn out to be a mystical, magical place. You never knew.

On the other side, there are things that are better now. Potentially. Only potentially. I would say very few are actually for-certain better. For example, the potential exists for the transmission of knowledge – for education – to be better.

One of my big things now is free, online, high-quality education at community colleges. I’m starting to think that basically everyone on Earth should be taking free online college courses throughout their entire lifetimes. I think that this is what education should become – no more privileged enclaves for the entitleds BS.

Right now I’m taking two online computer science courses. I’m lucky that these types of free, online classes are even available to me. In most places they are not. People do not understand fully what these courses represent.

Back to the comparison: Commerce is better now. There’s no question. Global communication and awareness – I could say its almost certainly better but then it depends upon what people are attuned to and what they are not attuned to. Some important things to be attuned to do not require technology.

That last point is true though about many things when it comes to technology and scientific understanding. For example, if you are wise and tuned-in – and society tends to condition people to be tuned-out unfortunately – but if you are tuned in you can know a lot about yourself and the world around you without that knowledge being mediated by scientific understanding.

Because I’m an American and I’ve always kind of liked the business, geeky side to American culture – we had companies like IBM for example, really cool railroads, department stores, inventory systems, amazing companies in New York, built rockets, etc. – I do sort of like technology in general. There’s no question.

Personally I think its useful to have a communication device that you can carry around, which you can also use for other things like reference lookups, guitar tuner, camera, video recorder, etc. Its all really cool.

But then I also recognize that “social networking” in its current form is garbage. Potentially it could be good – if it were not under the domain of grubby, conniving, for-profit companies and all that shit. If there were for example some kind of social networking RFC-defined open protocols which could be openly used by any type of application, not-for-profit, then it could be cool.

I see our culture as having a serious sickness which is more of a concern than technology. Look at the shit on tv. Look and the stupid music videos and movies. There’s so much crap and people are becoming more disgusting and gross.

Humans need spirituality, and generally that connection occurs outside of technology. Technology can perhaps facilitate it in minor ways, but cannot play a significant role.

But – it can play a role in helping to create the groundwork for people to re-connect with spirituality. It can be used to help people create better, more sustainable habitats. So it does have a function.

There will always be a role for technology in the lives of humans, just as there has been for millenia. Its up to us to figure out how we want to utilize it.

Social networking – companies like Facebook – are like the Gulf Oil Spill of the global information logos. A lot of what is being done is really sick. The way the people behind it “think” (connive or scam are more appropriate terms) is sick. Yes, its important to take a somewhat radical stance because of all this sick shit.

But technology – it is useful and important for people to use wisely.


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