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Computers are an oppressive technology

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Re: Computers are an oppressive technology

#3

Post by XorNot »

eterevsky wrote: post #2

Author's main point is that computers make their decisions based purely on how they are programmed, disregarding any human feeling. Well, the same can be said about nature.

Sure but the story of civilization has been a constant struggle to ensure nature does not make decisions for us.

Whereas we're currently powering in the opposite direction with computers.

Re: Computers are an oppressive technology

#5

Post by MichaelEstes »

XorNot wrote: post #3
eterevsky wrote: post #2

Author's main point is that computers make their decisions based purely on how they are programmed, disregarding any human feeling. Well, the same can be said about nature.

Sure but the story of civilization has been a constant struggle to ensure nature does not make decisions for us. Whereas we're currently powering in the opposite direction with computers.

Ya and we’ve sure done a bang up job of making sure nature doesn’t make any decisions for us.

Re: Computers are an oppressive technology

#7

Post by sfriedr »

XorNot wrote: post #3
eterevsky wrote: post #2

Author's main point is that computers make their decisions based purely on how they are programmed, disregarding any human feeling. Well, the same can be said about nature.

Sure but the story of civilization has been a constant struggle to ensure nature does not make decisions for us. Whereas we're currently powering in the opposite direction with computers.

As we speak nature is serving us with a particulay nasty "decision" called climate change.

No, we're still at the mercy but just on a different scale. Earlier it was the individual, now it is the population.

Re: Computers are an oppressive technology

#9

Post by eterevsky »

XorNot wrote: post #3
eterevsky wrote: post #2

Author's main point is that computers make their decisions based purely on how they are programmed, disregarding any human feeling. Well, the same can be said about nature.

Sure but the story of civilization has been a constant struggle to ensure nature does not make decisions for us. Whereas we're currently powering in the opposite direction with computers.

How is it in an opposite direction with computers? Whenever you are writing a program you are trying to as much as possible fulfill what your user wishes.
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