Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

weforum.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 267 posts

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#41

Post by roenxi »

LandR wrote: post #3

This reads like a description of a pretty awful dystopia. Or at least one where everything might seem great, until it isn't. And when it turns, turning it back is HARD / near impossible. Do people read this and think that is the sort of life they would want in the future?

> Do people read this and think that is the sort of life they would want in the future?

I think the author purposefully avoided saying anyone that.

But the part of the story that stood out to me viscerally was the neglect of maintenance crews and the design work, etc and how that plays into a status hierarchy. It is the same frustrating arrogance I sometimes see in city dwellers who just don't understand how many people are physically labouring to to maintain the artificial environment of a large city.

A handwave and "robots will do all that stuff by 2030" is too fantastic to stomach.

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#42

Post by ragnese »

robbrown451 wrote: post #8

I am unclear as to the author's intent. I expect most people here would find such ideas offensive. And yet so many things seem on the right track. It's the polar opposite of the outrageously inefficient model where everything you use, you own, and for 99.9% of the time, the thing just sits there depreciating or taking up space. Regarding cars, as a city liver who needs a car (but has no driveway or garage), I certain…

The only reason I'm not hopping on board the don't-own-stuff train is because the cynic in me believes this is all a ruse by the elite class to further own all productive capital and to render the lower classes even more subservient and dependent on their good graces.

If the "1%", so to speak, gave up all their yachts and patents, and ownership of ride-hailing services and farming were fully socialized, then maybe I'd get on board.

Until then, I'll believe that this is the wealthy trying to milk even more freedom from us.

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#43

Post by justinclift »

jstummbillig wrote: post #13
LandR wrote: post #3

This reads like a description of a pretty awful dystopia. Or at least one where everything might seem great, until it isn't. And when it turns, turning it back is HARD / near impossible. Do people read this and think that is the sort of life they would want in the future?

Parts of it, for sure! (I find it hard to imagine you would read a text of any notable length and not agree with any of its ideas to some degree.) Something that rings very true for me: Sharing is amazingly underutilized (unfortunately I feel it's a deeply cultural problem right now, but oh well, over time things change): I have absolutely no inherent need to own a car. I don't need to own a Hammer. I don't need to o…

For the Hammer, Bicycle Pump, and other "Tool" type of things the "Tool Library" concept seems to work really well.

It's like a "Book Library", (eg centralised local place for storage and co-ordination) but for tools. There's one here in Melbourne (Australia) with about 400 members, and over 1000 tools:

* https://www.brunswicktoollibrary.org

* https://brunswicktoollibrary.myturn.com/library/inventory/br...

They have power tools (~200), hand tools (~600), garden tools (~200), automotive stuff, electrical/soldering gear, etc.

And they have occasional um... workshops (or something similar) teaching people how to repair things. eg:

* Bike repair (Sep 2020) - https://www.facebook.com/events/728114278044351/

* General repair (Feb 2020) https://www.facebook.com/events/613979845834779/

Seems to work really well, at least in this case. :)

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#45

Post by cryptica »

cryptica wrote: post #35
LandR wrote: post #3

This reads like a description of a pretty awful dystopia. Or at least one where everything might seem great, until it isn't. And when it turns, turning it back is HARD / near impossible. Do people read this and think that is the sort of life they would want in the future?

Of course it's a scam. "You will own nothing and be happy". That is BS of the highest order. There will always be someone who owns and controls everything. It's just not going to be you. You will own nothing, you will be worthless. You won't even be able to have a girlfriend/boyfriend or friends for that matter; real human relationships are reserved for the elites. You will get as many VR friends as you want though.…

I can't believe that people are downvoting this without making any arguments to refute it; they're thinking emotionally, looking at things through rose-colored lenses. Sometimes it seems like everyone is on drugs. People's brains are turning into swiss cheese.

Trying to censor information is just not going to work. Controlling the media is not going to help beyond a certain point. People know what's going on and they'll be taking the real conversations offline. When everyone collectively realizes what's been happening, the backlash is going to be terrifying and unforgiving. The more you suppress the truth, the worse it will be when it all comes out.

The current elites don't have the ability to suppress billions of people who were raised on freedom as the central principle of their existence.

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#46

Post by slx26 »

jstummbillig wrote: post #13
LandR wrote: post #3

This reads like a description of a pretty awful dystopia. Or at least one where everything might seem great, until it isn't. And when it turns, turning it back is HARD / near impossible. Do people read this and think that is the sort of life they would want in the future?

Parts of it, for sure! (I find it hard to imagine you would read a text of any notable length and not agree with any of its ideas to some degree.) Something that rings very true for me: Sharing is amazingly underutilized (unfortunately I feel it's a deeply cultural problem right now, but oh well, over time things change): I have absolutely no inherent need to own a car. I don't need to own a Hammer. I don't need to o…

Agreed, though I think last mile delivery is ignored in the essay. I'd be very happy if post offices evolved and became places where you could get things delivered and you could retrieve them without needing to wait or speak with anyone, but they also allowed you to retrieve other shared items (ok, maybe some requiring a reserve first) that I'm not going to need often. Tools are a good example. Some cooking appliances would also qualify. Some equipment for hiking, board games, bikes and other small vehicles, instruments, etc.

The lack of environmental problems and abundance of clean energy also sounds good, though it just appears magically in the essay, so we can't say much about it.

Lack of privacy is terrible, and we can make it much better. Flying cars are terrible. Not owning everything is terrible. I'm the complete opposite of a materialist person, but I can understand how it's very useful to own some things. I mean, besides your underwear. Some might have sentimental value, and others are used so much that it's more practical to own them and know they are always available at the place you left them.

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#47

Post by globular-toast »

robbrown451 wrote: post #8

I am unclear as to the author's intent. I expect most people here would find such ideas offensive. And yet so many things seem on the right track. It's the polar opposite of the outrageously inefficient model where everything you use, you own, and for 99.9% of the time, the thing just sits there depreciating or taking up space. Regarding cars, as a city liver who needs a car (but has no driveway or garage), I certain…

What's wrong with something sitting there and not being used? It's not causing any extra consumption. It's using space, but I don't wish for a future where I don't even have enough space to keep a personal car.

As for sharing everything, it's a good theory but would never work in practice. Have you ever lived with people outside of your family or bubble? Some people are filthy and don't even take care of things they own, let alone things they don't. Are you expecting to be able to select who you are happy to share with?

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#49

Post by tylerjwilk00 »

ragnese wrote: post #29
smitty1e wrote: post #28

As long as you have a pair of the correct lenses[1], life is all hugs and cupcakes. > The lenses cause their wearers to see, not their squalid surroundings, but the Overworld, a vastly superior version of reality where a hut is a palace, gruel is a magnificent feast, etc. — "seeing the world through rose-colored glasses" on a grand scale. The 2020 election appears a step in this direction. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.…

> The 2020 election appears a step in this direction. Care to elaborate?

I am speculating but perhaps parent means TV news and media is a lens (Eye of the Overworld) through which the wearer is shown a world layered over the real world. Media would then change the view to either squalor or majesty (perhaps depending on the elected president).

Re: It's 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better (2016)

#50

Post by slx26 »

justinclift wrote: post #43
jstummbillig wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parts of it, for sure! (I find it hard to imagine you would read a text of any notable length and not agree with any of its ideas to some degree.) Something that rings very true for me: Sharing is amazingly underutilized (unfortunately I feel it's a deeply cultural problem right now, but oh well, over time things change): I have absolutely no inherent need to own a car. I don't need to own a Hammer. I don't need to o…

For the Hammer, Bicycle Pump, and other "Tool" type of things the "Tool Library" concept seems to work really well. It's like a "Book Library", (eg centralised local place for storage and co-ordination) but for tools. There's one here in Melbourne (Australia) with about 400 members, and over 1000 tools: * https://www.brunswicktoollibrary.org * https://brunswicktoollibrary.myturn.com/library/inventory/br... They have…

Very nice, hope projects like these become common public services in the future.
Post reply on HN