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‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

nytimes.com

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Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#71

Post by wwggggoi »

dharma1 wrote: post #61
wwggggoi wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

plausibility isn't the point - the scfi devices used are for reduction-ad-absurdum, to zoom-in on aspects of our current society. Also, in the real world some things develop faster than others. In San Junipero they can perfectly simulate a world and upload people into the cloud (heaven), but they can't cure quadriplegia with stem-cells. That's ok because all science and tech doesn't move at the same pace: some tech g…

I don't disagree with you, but for me you still need to retain some plausibility or it just feels sloppy. The perfect memory recorder in the previous episodes - that was my favourite one, because we are not very far off from it, yet the implications are profound. But indefinitely flying, self-replicating nanobees, just because one of the writers read about drones, 3d printers and bees dying out? Feels forced and lazy…

yeh that was one of my favourites too

but thing is, nobody can predict which technologies are more of less likely to take-off, it's a mysterious thing but many smart people poo-pooed the internet, cinema, cars, computers

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#72

Post by srum »

madaxe_again wrote: post #66
m_mueller wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's scary how relevant some of Black Mirror's themes actually are. This one in particular is so close, I wonder whether the show's creators used it as a template. Edit: Apparently not, as this information is only publicly available since this September. Zeitgeist at work?

I've known about sesame since last year at least - it's getting more attention now but it was definitely public knowledge when this series would have been at the writing stage. It's an idea from sci-fi - I can't remember who wrote what, but there was a society where citizens got more or fewer votes depending on their behaviour (edit: Alastair Reynolds? Banks? Feels like it was one of them.), and knew each other's sco…

Don't forget Community!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3278596/

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#73

Post by bambax »

ben_jones wrote: post #18
m_mueller wrote: post #9

Black Mirror often takes little details that we add in software, like a rating system, and takes them to their extreme and logical conclusion. Its premises are mostly sci-fi, but as thought experiments on how what we do could lead to a severe dystopia, it is superbly engaging. I recommend watching no more than one episode per day - I've been thinking about its topics quite a lot recently. At the least, it's refreshin…

I've watched the first episode and had some existential questions pop up while on a walk today. Isn't that end-all rating system, like you mention, the final form of many companies like Facebook or Instagram? When the value generated on the platform grows beyond its platform to other important parts of society. I think this is only just starting to happen, like Air BnB's usage of Facebook profiles as host validation,…

Uber is exactly like that... or HN, where "positivity" is effectively enforced and swearing triggers immediate action from the comments police

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12708612

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#74

Post by wozniacki »

ben_jones wrote: post #18
m_mueller wrote: post #9

Black Mirror often takes little details that we add in software, like a rating system, and takes them to their extreme and logical conclusion. Its premises are mostly sci-fi, but as thought experiments on how what we do could lead to a severe dystopia, it is superbly engaging. I recommend watching no more than one episode per day - I've been thinking about its topics quite a lot recently. At the least, it's refreshin…

I've watched the first episode and had some existential questions pop up while on a walk today. Isn't that end-all rating system, like you mention, the final form of many companies like Facebook or Instagram? When the value generated on the platform grows beyond its platform to other important parts of society. I think this is only just starting to happen, like Air BnB's usage of Facebook profiles as host validation,…

Some of the aspects portrayed in the episode "Nosedive" seem pretty far-fetched and probably are just that, at least for the duration.

But other aspects tangential to the rating system portrayed in the episode are already very much of interest to technology companies as potential future undertakings, with far-reaching consequences. Whether such undertakings have actually been green-lighted as live projects with lots of momentum, is unknown to the public at this time.

On December 29, 2015, Facebook has acquired a patent [1] "that would allow creditors to assess your creditworthiness based on the credit ratings of the people in your social network."

  Facebook applied for the patent in 2012 as part of a bundle of 
  patents it purchased from now-defunct social networking site 
  Friendster. The patent was first noticed by SmartUpLegal. This is 
  how the patent describes the invention:
  When an individual applies for a loan, the lender examines the 
  credit ratings of members of the individual’s social network who 
  are connected to the individual through authorized nodes. If the 
  average credit rating of these members is at least a minimum 
  credit score, the lender continues to process the loan 
  application. Otherwise, the loan application is rejected.
[1] Unites States Patent No. 9,224,213

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=H...

[2] Facebook’s new patent lets lenders reject a loan based on your friends’ credit scores—but don’t freak out

http://qz.com/472751/facebooks-new-patent-lets-lenders-rejec...

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#75

Post by CPAhem »

m_mueller wrote: post #33
justinpombrio wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently China plans to role out that kind of rating system by 2020, dubbed a "social credit score": http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34592186

It's scary how relevant some of Black Mirror's themes actually are. This one in particular is so close, I wonder whether the show's creators used it as a template. Edit: Apparently not, as this information is only publicly available since this September. Zeitgeist at work?

Charlie Brooker, the author of Black Mirror has had quite a few prescient moments: A previous series had the UK Prime Minister having sex with a pig, a year later it turned out that David Cameron had done something obscene to a pig as part of a college initiation ceremony.

Brooker claimed he was spooked by this coincidence.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#76

Post by mountaineer22 »

madaxe_again wrote: post #66
m_mueller wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's scary how relevant some of Black Mirror's themes actually are. This one in particular is so close, I wonder whether the show's creators used it as a template. Edit: Apparently not, as this information is only publicly available since this September. Zeitgeist at work?

I've known about sesame since last year at least - it's getting more attention now but it was definitely public knowledge when this series would have been at the writing stage. It's an idea from sci-fi - I can't remember who wrote what, but there was a society where citizens got more or fewer votes depending on their behaviour (edit: Alastair Reynolds? Banks? Feels like it was one of them.), and knew each other's sco…

Was the currency called whoopy?

[update]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whuffie

I was thinking later, Cory Doctorow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_and_Out_in_the_Magic_King...

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#77

Post by nhaehnle »

rbanffy wrote: post #68
rorykoehler wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have zero faith in rating systems. Absolutely useless 98% of the time. The only time they work is if there are thousands upon thousands of negative reviews with hardly any positives.

Money is absolutely useless by itself. It's our collective agreement that it has value that gives it value.

That's not quite true. Money has value because a lot of the demand for it is enforced by law (taxes and repayment of debts). Those act as a real anchor for its value beyond collective agreement.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#78

Post by mountaineer22 »

danso wrote: post #4

I've only watched 3 of the episodes (Playtest, Shut Up and Dance, and Hated in the Nation)...I've heard the other 3 episodes were better, but the 3 that I have watched seemed subpar compared to the previous 2 seasons. Not terrible as far as overall TV goes, but after the plot thrills were over, they just didn't leave the same queasiness-about-possible-future-dystopia that "White Bear", "White Christmas", "Entire Hist…

I understand what you are saying.

Do you feel like the earlier episodes could be applicable to anyone in future society, but the current episodes are too specific to apply to "anybody" - rather, "This is the dystopian future, but only for these personality types."

Affecting society versus affecting the self?

Additionally, not sure if anybody agrees, but I considered the end of episode 1 season 3 a happy ending.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#79

Post by JonnieCache »

vorg wrote: post #50
danso wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think my problem with it was how plot-driven the last episode ("Hated in the Nation") was. It ended in a way as if it mattered whether the cops catch the bad guy. I love cop shows, but the procedural bits here took time from all the interesting tech concepts that had been brought up. Another reviewer described it as feeling like an episode of X-Files, which I think is an apt way to describe it: Good, but not the ki…

I understood "Hated in the Nation" to be taking the piss out of the standard cop show format, with their happy endings, flashbacks from the debriefing, master villain, etc.

Charlie Brooker has already thoroughly massacred the procedural format:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Touch_of_Cloth

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#80

Post by Ntrails »

m_mueller wrote: post #67
Ntrails wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was so nervous when I saw they were being done with Netflix and in a massive season of six episodes. I actually don't think there was a truly weak episode in the bunch. Literally my only complaint was the stupid little explanation taglines Netflix shoved in my face meaning I didn't get to go into most of them completely free of expectation. Charlie Brooker man, what a guy.

Ah the taglines... I don't even look at them ;-)

by the second half of the season I'd trained myself not to look, but I was just reading without really meaning to when they came on screen. It really ruined some of the surprise in San Junepero (sp?)
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