Category: Media / Sociology

Progress needs copying

I haven’t had the chance to examine the philosophical basis of the last post yet, but now that this thought is in my mind I feel that I’m seeing evidence of it everywhere. To me, it makes perfect sense that to fully understand something one needs to take it apart and reassemble it–to see “what makes it tick.” Thus, by definition, understanding requires some kind of a copy. Perhaps if this idea has some psychological basis, and can be measured in some meaningful way, we can form a new understanding of what types of copying are permissible. Rather than look at the technical means of copying, we might look at motives or outcome. This may gel better with common conceptions of what a law like copyright might protect: piracy for profit would be seen as wrong, while borrowing to understand and improve would be encouraged.

Privacy

Two amazing articles jumped out at me the other day:

Government Uses Color Laser Printer Technology to Track Documents
If you have a color printer, you may notice tiny yellow type–the serial number of your printer.

This strikes me as nothing short of amazing, considering that anonymous speech has been a cherished American ideal since the time of the early colonial press (anonymous letters and columns were commonly printed and carried some weight with the public). From corporate scandals, to underground newspapers, to private mailings…the ability to use the modern press absent the fear of retribution (from the government or any other body) should be an essential feature of our modern communication landscape.

Homeland Security To Launch RFID Systems At Border Crossings
Non-citizen visitors (even those with visas) who cross American borders will be required to post a card on their dashboard containing a chip which allows the vehicle to be tracked when entering/leaving the country.

Yet this may allow the chips to be tracked anywhere within the country (perhaps by a highway patrol person). The safety of our country is indeed a concern (especially at the borders), but it should not come at the cost of infringing on individual liberty to freely move about our lands as long as they do so within the law. To me, this sort of rule falls under the “do unto others…” principle.

General Comment
Modern technology gives us the potential to manage a vast amount of the data in our lives. Yet when this data is created in an individually-identifyable way, convienence may turn into danger. When data is collected covertly, under federal requirement, or in an opt-out manner, it removes one’s right live and express his or herself in an environment without fear of criticism or punishment.

Confessions of an info-maniac?

It turns out that using e-mail, IM and other communication tools too much might lower your IQ. Research sponsored by Hewlett-Packard found that our addiction to checking our e-mail may cause a significant reduction in IQ.

“Me fail English, that’s unpossible!”

Well Ralph, it looks like the distractions of multi-tasking and communication technologies may harm one’s ability to focus–a feeling I expressed to some degree in blog posting number one. If these findings find more support (especially across generations), one must begin to wonder what technology is doing to us. Imagine an inverse relationship between productivity and IQ, or perhaps a world where a cut-paste-reply culture replaces hard-earned creativity. …How many times have I been distracted while composing this post; how many good ideas were lost?

Could there be a technological answer for a technologically-created problem?
[I’ve often thought that a “lock” application (meaning: only let me use MS Word for the next hour) wouldn’t be such a bad idea.] Perhaps better focus on my part could make for a less-rambling post…