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The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

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Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#331

Post by mmirate »

danso wrote: post #330
mmirate wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as the police still do their jobs, why does the existence of such an underclass worry you?

I can't think of any U.S. law enforcement agencies that have ever asserted (either as a primary or secondary mission) to take care of or otherwise manage the impoverished underclass. Can you cite any examples that you know of?

No, unless you are using "manage the underclass" as a euphemism for "protect us from crime, including that committed by subsets of the underclass". Because that is what I was referring to. Nothing more, nothing less.

The only downside of creating an underclass is when they commit crimes; but managing this downside is part of the police's job.

(n.b. income inequality isn't illegal; theft and murder, are.)

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#332

Post by danso »

mmirate wrote: post #331
danso wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't think of any U.S. law enforcement agencies that have ever asserted (either as a primary or secondary mission) to take care of or otherwise manage the impoverished underclass. Can you cite any examples that you know of?

No, unless you are using "manage the underclass" as a euphemism for "protect us from crime, including that committed by subsets of the underclass". Because that is what I was referring to. Nothing more, nothing less. The only downside of creating an underclass is when they commit crimes; but managing this downside is part of the police's job. (n.b. income inequality isn't illegal; theft and murder, are.)

No, I do not think it a euphemism. The user you responded to (u/pandlet) gave no indication that his concern that “an underclass of people shut out from the rest of society” was related to fear that the poor committing crimes. You don’t think there’s reasons other than fear to be unhappy about the existence of a “shut out” underclass?

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#333

Post by mmirate »

danso wrote: post #332
mmirate wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, unless you are using "manage the underclass" as a euphemism for "protect us from crime, including that committed by subsets of the underclass". Because that is what I was referring to. Nothing more, nothing less. The only downside of creating an underclass is when they commit crimes; but managing this downside is part of the police's job. (n.b. income inequality isn't illegal; theft and murder, are.)

No, I do not think it a euphemism. The user you responded to (u/pandlet) gave no indication that his concern that “an underclass of people shut out from the rest of society” was related to fear that the poor committing crimes. You don’t think there’s reasons other than fear to be unhappy about the existence of a “shut out” underclass?

No. If I don't fear them, then they're of no consequence and I don't care about them.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#334

Post by danso »

mmirate wrote: post #333
danso wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I do not think it a euphemism. The user you responded to (u/pandlet) gave no indication that his concern that “an underclass of people shut out from the rest of society” was related to fear that the poor committing crimes. You don’t think there’s reasons other than fear to be unhappy about the existence of a “shut out” underclass?

No. If I don't fear them, then they're of no consequence and I don't care about them.

Sounds like you fear for your physical safety if you immediately assumed u/pandler’s primary concern was crimes committed by a shut out underclass.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#335

Post by dredmorbius »

eucitizenxxy wrote: post #302
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Community died some time in the 1980s with the rise of "loads of money", and famous politicians stating "there's no such thing as society any more". It used to be that people would make a living then give something back in later life - either public service such as becoming a politician or joining one of the many societies like the Rotary Club that performs philanthropic acts. Now politics is a career, philanthropy i…

People get shadowbanned on HN for using the the term that describes this phenomenon: neoliberalism. It’s exactly that: eroding of civil society while pushing the ideology that you can (and should) monetize everything. A sad development might I say.

Examples requested.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#336

Post by extralego »

dm319 wrote: post #201
stcredzero wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you imagine Netflix or Amazon, Google or Facebook behaving this way? This is the difference between having a sense of civic duty and community vs. not. The customer/business relationship is a poor substitute for the real thing, even when they try to foster the trappings of false "community." there was a time when people considered the idea of an institution having a long and complete list of everything you've rea…

> having a sense of civic duty and community vs. not A sense of civic duty? These words sounds like they are from another period. I think this is low in the mindshare of the population of many western countries. As a society we're mostly concerned with personal progress, social influence and monetisation.

For me, it’s everything I dream of and yearn for. I will work for it until the day i die whether you join me or not. We have built a trash pile and treat each accordingly. Libraries are little pieces of harmony. When they close, I will go with them.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#337

Post by sixdimensional »

epalmer wrote: post #291
sixdimensional wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's interesting. I have exactly that degree (MIS), yet, the perception of my education has been much more technical / information systems. Most of the library folk I've spoken to said that information science today really isn't the same as library science and sort of discounted it. I'm not sure if that's some kind of bias that people like me are seen as being overqualified to be a librarian and therefore not consi…

Gosh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope that does not work that way for my daughter. Her UG college library staff recommended Fla State for the MIS which used to be a MLS degree. She hopes to move from local government libraries to academic in the next several years. I hope you find the employment you are looking for. And I hope she does as well.

Could be very dependent on the particular program. I had a background in hands on programming and building systems, so that might also be part of the bias.

Wish her all the best! :)

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#338

Post by hakfoo »

BurningFrog wrote: post #26
Sharlin wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I read a library-related discussion on HN, one of the sentiments expressed was basically ”I download ebooks, why would anyone need a library?” Boggles the mind. There was also a bizarre comment about libraries being only funded to keep a bunch of otherwise useless civil servants employed.

Let me steelman that argument. Libraries were invented because information was only available on printed (or hand written) books, which were very expensive and scarce resources. Now information can be available almost literally for free and instantly, to anywhere. If the institutional inertia of libraries didn't exist today, would they really be invented as they are? https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Steel_man

Even if information is free and infinite-- perhaps especially in this situation-- there's value in curation and expert research guidance.

In a different timeline, libraries might not be buildings full of books, but there'd still be a purpose for librarians.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#339

Post by dionidium »

ikeyany wrote: post #202
jdminhbg wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except there's survey data about this, and tech companies are the most respected and banks are the least: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/wells-fargo-...

Respecting Alphabet, Apple, and Amazon as companies is very different from respecting tech workers as a whole.

At least it’s some sort of data and not just a bunch of people in a bubble talking about how people perceive their bubble as though participating in the bubble doesn’t obviously influence how they view outside perception of the bubble.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#340

Post by mmirate »

danso wrote: post #334
mmirate wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. If I don't fear them, then they're of no consequence and I don't care about them.

Sounds like you fear for your physical safety if you immediately assumed u/pandler’s primary concern was crimes committed by a shut out underclass.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14946683
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