Let's Riff on the next Tech/Social Revolution

[Ph64]

Or on my same rant, explain to me why my refrigerator needs an LCD screen that shows me the weather, movies, etc, (and probably runs Windows), all on the internet of course? Seems to me like one more expensive thing to fix when it breaks, just to have my refrigerator work like my $40 tablet, that I can replace easily/cheaply rather than a $400 service call.

Sure, it "looks techno whiz-bang beats cool", but does it really make any sense?

...meanwhile, what used to be a simple dumb system with a thermostat turns into an internet device, full of Windows security holes, and some hacker turns it to 80F and ruins $400 of food while I'm on vacation. It's a "smart" device, right?

[Speaker to Animals]

Or on my same rant, explain to me why my refrigerator needs an LCD screen that shows me the weather, movies, etc, (and probably runs Windows), all on the internet of course? Seems to me like one more expensive thing to fix when it breaks, just to have my refrigerator work like my $40 tablet, that I can replace easily/cheaply rather than a $400 service call.

Sure, it "looks techno whiz-bang beats cool", but does it really make any sense?

Well, can you have it cycle through porn?

[Fife]

Some of you will enjoy this guy's stuff:

https://twitter.com/internetofshit

https://internetofshit.net/

[doc_loliday]

In 40 years there will still be enough to do, technology destroys and creates, Malthus be damned.

[Speaker to Animals]

In 40 years there will still be enough to do, technology destroys and creates, Malthus be damned.

This isn't about Malthus. We escaped the Malthusian trap in the 17th century.

[doc_loliday]

But his spirit lives on to this day.

[doc_loliday]

Warehouses, service, and transportation are getting automated soon... not the distant future.

They are huge employers.

I am sure anyone who fails to strike it rich in our big ol' economy after an amazon bot, a self-service kiosk or a google car takes their job are just unwilling to make the sacrifices required for success.

Interestingly Amazon just inked a deal to open a warehouse in my town and they're hiring 2500 workers.

But sure, some jobs are getting replaced. And again, I doubted that robots are going to take all of our jobs in the near future, so examples of some of the some being replaced isn't a counter point. And we should welcome productivity increases. Moreover all of the well paying jobs I mentioned had nothing to do with warehouses. And by the way, I never mentioned getting rich, all of my attainable examples are those that involve hard work over the course of decades. Just because striking it rich isn't available for all doesn't mean it's all doom.

It is a numbers game. Automation completely obviating all human labor is a way off, but if those three employment opportunities disappear in short order, there might be a legitimate employment crisis.

Keep in mind, when I say "strike it rich" I am describing a very low bar for rich... basically, gainfully employed at a living wage is rich, because the main problem isn't that jobs disappear. The problem is with constantly diminishing the value of human work, and making everyone's economic future precarious. If a load of potential workers floods the labor market and zeros in on the good jobs you did mention... I don't know, I am not holding my breath for the next big idea that hoovers up the excess human capacity and keeps compensation high.

You are right though, a minimum wage gas station employee has it better than a lot of people long dead. It is hard for me to imagine that situation is immune to perturbations.

I believe in the ingenuity of man. It's hard to count on it when the outcomes are dire but I believe if we lay the foundations for people to flourish they will. I believe educating people is the way forward.

[doc_loliday]

I'm all for training and education subsidization. It's truly worthy of tax payer money because it gives so much back. Obviously we can argue about how shitty education can be, but education is the key to lifting people out of their lot and moving society forward.

[Speaker to Animals]

But his spirit lives on to this day.

No, the reality he described lives on to this day globally, but is averted year-after-year by European and North American peoples uplifting everybody else and helping them escape the trap through food subsidies and foreign aid.

[TheReal_ND]

Or on my same rant, explain to me why my refrigerator needs an LCD screen that shows me the weather, movies, etc, (and probably runs Windows), all on the internet of course? Seems to me like one more expensive thing to fix when it breaks, just to have my refrigerator work like my $40 tablet, that I can replace easily/cheaply rather than a $400 service call.

How else will the botnet be able to spy on your consumption?