I just saw a video of a woman getting hit by a bus because she had her headphones in and looking at her cell phone crossing a crosswalk. Not really her fault, but I guess I would have heard a bus coming.
I hope her employer had a bus factor > 1.
Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
51–60 of 387 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you talking about the charity people with clipboards in SF? They're seriously the most aggressive people I've ever seen. I'm surprised they have card readers now. I think they used to just write your credit card details on a piece of paper.
> I think they used to just write your credit card details on a piece of paper. Why would you allow anyone to do that? :O
Why would you give your credit card to a random, uncredentialed person on the street just because they claim to help animals?
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#53I'm miserable and all the tech that has "enabled me to do anything" has made everything seem arbitrary. If you can do anything, why do anything?
You are describing a serious psychological issue. I urge you to seek treatment with psychologist or psychiatrist.
I'm not sure why you're being downvoted.
Being miserable because "there's no point in doing anything" is definitely a sign of depression if it's persistent and starts interfering with your life.
Not saying technology does or doesn't factor in here.
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#54Internet usage starts with users querying information they want, and services learning/adapting to deliver information in a format/context based on their activity. This has created some stellar search tools, a personalized network of services and communities available to people, and made the internet a paradise for new content from all over the world. Despite that all the information in the world is available to us,…
It's almost as if... shiny new technology can't solve the human condition. Have you tried turning it off, and on again?
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#55Historically, misinformation spread due to lack of reliable communications technology (news took a while to travel around the world). Now, misplaced trust in media and abuse of technology spread misinformation.
I was just thinking about this the other day, in the context of ancient texts referring to things being written down. You come across phrases in ancient accounts like "it is written ....", and in a world where almost all information and news came from word of mouth and rumors, something being written down made it inherently more credible. Today everything is written down, much if not most of the information we receiv…
Well, "it is written" was also a statement about the credibility due to an inherent bias towards the educated. Yes, you can't necessarily trust a journalist...but you certainly can't trust a friend's opinion either; they aren't even expected to be well informed.
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is so much tech in life, it’s hard to know where to even begin. Seems like every time you want to do something it starts with a google search on the best way to do it. If you don’t, you risk wasting a lot of time or money, and then people will call you an idiot for not googling it first, and sometimes the person calling you an idiot is your own self. Life has become nothing but a series of google searches and f…
So life was better before google—when there was still the risk of wasting time and money, and only limited means of research?
Also the constant comparison... and constant advertisements convincing you how you should be. We used to be able to just live and commercials were contained in commercial breaks and billboards. Now the content we consume is mixed with commercials in imperceptable manners.
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#57Something I've noticed a huge amount over the last couple of years in particular - no one has any change for the homeless / those on the streets / those collecting for charity. Contactless has been a 'thing' for a while now, but it really seemed to kick up a gear when phones and watches had wallets and the buses and a decent amount of restaurants went 'card only'.
Having been almost 100% cashless for the last decade it's only a matter of time before homeless people use contactless payments as an attempt to defeat my excuses.
Maybe that isn't such a bad thing, you can get a receipt for your charitable contribution that you can write-off.
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#58Like social networks breeding political stupidity, mob rule and demagoguery?
I don't believe any of these problems are unique to this state of technology. If you dig into the history you'll find that politics is frequently a very dirty and irrational business.
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
Uhhh, can you elaborate on this? Tech has enabled you to do anything?
There is so much tech in life, it’s hard to know where to even begin. Seems like every time you want to do something it starts with a google search on the best way to do it. If you don’t, you risk wasting a lot of time or money, and then people will call you an idiot for not googling it first, and sometimes the person calling you an idiot is your own self. Life has become nothing but a series of google searches and f…
I think this is an example of where books are powerful. A (good) book on a subject is far superior than pages of different articles that anyone could write. With a book you know that time and effort has gone into it. If you want to learn about something, invest in the right book.
Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was just thinking about this the other day, in the context of ancient texts referring to things being written down. You come across phrases in ancient accounts like "it is written ....", and in a world where almost all information and news came from word of mouth and rumors, something being written down made it inherently more credible. Today everything is written down, much if not most of the information we receiv…
Well, "it is written" was also a statement about the credibility due to an inherent bias towards the educated. Yes, you can't necessarily trust a journalist...but you certainly can't trust a friend's opinion either; they aren't even expected to be well informed.
I said "a well informed friend". Certainly it is a tautology that a 'well informed friend' can be expected to be 'well informed', no?