Jaron Lanier - You Are Not A Gadget

Digital guru Jaron Lanier delivers a call to arms against digital collectivism and proposes more productive ways technology might interact with our culture.

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• digital
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[TheTruth006]

Jaron Lanier, retired jedi.

[bledges]

Lanier is not pitting humans against the natural world. He is saying that we shouldn't be so quick to reduce humanity to the level of current technological 'imperatives' or 'crap computers happen to be efficient at doing', for example. The basic jist is, I think, that technological fetishization and business plans are anything but the sort of "sacred" sort of thing you are concerned to defend. Lanier wants technological progress to be more 'human-centered' rather than dehumanizing.

[scoliomorf]

I remember Alan Watts.



[funkymonk365]

Smart guy with some great points. But for some reason whenever I look at him I think of Dr. Seuss.

[markjamesmason]

Profound, Profound, Profound, Profundity

[strutsandfrets]

Not trying to be a dick, but if you took a look at his book, I think you'd find that he makes some really insightful, data-backed points.

[xbxDaniel]

Hopefully, by then, the Master Computer will be able to give you better tips on spelling.

[FredeGF]

I like the interviewer, but Lanier needs to pull himself together, just a bit - I've now watched a great deal of footage, and read here and there, and I've seriously not bumped into a single sound argument of his - where does he hide them?? "Read it in my book" or "data shows" is the closest he gets.

Also, I really don't like the way he is ridiculing the people he disagrees with for being so certain of their predictions, when at the same time, he himself is arrogantly sure of his own thoughts..

[reggiejax]

i dont get what he means by everyone being able to live off their brains. this seems to assume a future where there's some sort of extreme abundance whereby no more work is required to maintain or provide for human society. even assuming this does happen. why then do we still need to sell our ideas to one another? why not just exchange them for free? 

[BabyBreeBree69]

cyborgs > humans

[Jixejo]

I read this book it was good, although he could have gone deeper into things... then i smoked some weed and i either didn't know what he was talking about or didnt agree on his eschatological opinions

[DrAugustusValdes]

"No one remembers Alan Watts?... that's really sad".

Yes, it is.