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Whole Earth Index

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Re: Whole Earth Index

#21

Post by taink »

curl-up wrote: post #3

Jobs called it "Google in paperback form" [1]. I wonder what obscure (probably online?) source of information of today we'll be comparing to the mainstream sources of tomorrow. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/oct/09/steve-job...

He specifically references the last page of the last issue, and concludes his commencement speech with its words "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." [1]

Pretty nice to see it context, next to all the other editions.

> I wonder what obscure (probably online?) source of information of today we'll be comparing to the mainstream sources of tomorrow.

Maybe this very website will be among them?

[1] https://wholeearth.info/p/whole-earth-epilog-october-1974?fo...

Re: Whole Earth Index

#23

Post by immibis »

thesuitonym wrote: post #6

I'm not familiar with the publication, so I was imagining a joke website that purports to index every object on the Earth.

Unironically, imagine some curated index of everything you could buy from anyone anywhere, or find anywhere or make from anything, that would actually be useful.

... at least until 500,000 people descend on some small town searching for NFTium or whatever.

Re: Whole Earth Index

#24

Post by epolanski »

paulcole wrote: post #16
solomonb wrote: post #12

I love the Whole Earth Catalog. That era of techno-utopian optimism is so exciting. I'm too young to have experienced more then the tail end of it in the 90s going to computer camp as a kid, but it felt like anything was possible and everything was connected. It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that.

> It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that. For a comically small amount of money I can listen to any song I want to, read any book I want to, watch any movie/TV show I want to. Then there’s the ad-supported videos and images and text. Then there’s the AIs that I use every day! I’m in awe at how amazing where we have landed at is. Sure some stuff isn’t perfect but what fun is it to be sad about what…

Maybe you're too young to remember the kind of vibe and optimism that people rode in the 90s.

Felt like everything was going to be better, like we humans were going to be better. More peace, no apartheid, no Soviet union, removing borders between countries in Europe, tech felt like a way to connect us.

In fact, I invite you to re read your entire post. You post achievements in conveniences as major milestones for human progress, but...people have never read as little as they do today, never went to so few concerts as today, or the movies and the average adult in US spends less than 4 hours socializing (including both family and friends) per week, that's less than half the quote of the 90s which was already less but not as significantly.

Re: Whole Earth Index

#25

Post by epolanski »

zackmorris wrote: post #10

This is great! I remember a turning point for me when I was feeling very low at the height of the War on Terror and jingoism appeared to have taken over the world. Just before the housing bubble popped and politics would swing the other way, but we didn't know that was going to happen yet. John Mayer was playing music at Macworld 2007 (wish I could find the video) and said "Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. just make life mo…

Not sure why wealth inequality is mixed anywhere near the rest of the topics.

I couldn't care less about it, if some people live to make money, let them, as long as they do it legally.

On the other hand hacker culture is very lacking and the fact that we don't really own our devices is part of the issue.p

Re: Whole Earth Index

#26

Post by paulcole »

epolanski wrote: post #24
paulcole wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that. For a comically small amount of money I can listen to any song I want to, read any book I want to, watch any movie/TV show I want to. Then there’s the ad-supported videos and images and text. Then there’s the AIs that I use every day! I’m in awe at how amazing where we have landed at is. Sure some stuff isn’t perfect but what fun is it to be sad about what…

Maybe you're too young to remember the kind of vibe and optimism that people rode in the 90s. Felt like everything was going to be better, like we humans were going to be better. More peace, no apartheid, no Soviet union, removing borders between countries in Europe, tech felt like a way to connect us. In fact, I invite you to re read your entire post. You post achievements in conveniences as major milestones for hum…

I started getting online in around 1996 for whatever that’s worth.

> You post achievements in conveniences as major milestones for human progress

A careful reader will note that I did not do this.

Re: Whole Earth Index

#27

Post by paulcole »

maleno wrote: post #19
paulcole wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that. For a comically small amount of money I can listen to any song I want to, read any book I want to, watch any movie/TV show I want to. Then there’s the ad-supported videos and images and text. Then there’s the AIs that I use every day! I’m in awe at how amazing where we have landed at is. Sure some stuff isn’t perfect but what fun is it to be sad about what…

Maybe I'm missing some sarcasm here, but it would be worth asking what the consequences of this situation are for the people who actually make all the music/books/films you get to consume for a "comically small amount of money".

I don’t know, I haven’t talked to Taylor Swift or the Grateful Dead lately.

Re: Whole Earth Index

#28

Post by paulcole »

achierius wrote: post #20
paulcole wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that. For a comically small amount of money I can listen to any song I want to, read any book I want to, watch any movie/TV show I want to. Then there’s the ad-supported videos and images and text. Then there’s the AIs that I use every day! I’m in awe at how amazing where we have landed at is. Sure some stuff isn’t perfect but what fun is it to be sad about what…

Social dislocation, a loneliness epidemic, the breakdown of civil society and of trust in the media, gambling unleashed in everyone's pockets, billions of dollars spent trying to get you addicted to scrolling on your phone... Yes, it's worth bemoaning that.

Yeah my mistake you’re right. I’ll go be sad for awhile as penance!

Re: Whole Earth Index

#30

Post by MarcelOlsz »

paulcole wrote: post #16
solomonb wrote: post #12

I love the Whole Earth Catalog. That era of techno-utopian optimism is so exciting. I'm too young to have experienced more then the tail end of it in the 90s going to computer camp as a kid, but it felt like anything was possible and everything was connected. It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that.

> It is a bit sad to see where we have landed after all that. For a comically small amount of money I can listen to any song I want to, read any book I want to, watch any movie/TV show I want to. Then there’s the ad-supported videos and images and text. Then there’s the AIs that I use every day! I’m in awe at how amazing where we have landed at is. Sure some stuff isn’t perfect but what fun is it to be sad about what…

I Live in a Techno-Dystopian Surveillance Nightmare and All I Got Was This Shitty MP3 Player
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