

The virtual curmudgeon - icco
http://www.economist.com/node/16909935?story_id=16909935

======
rblion
"We’re losing track of the vastness of the potential for computer science," he
says. "We really have to revive the beautiful intellectual joy of it, as
opposed to the business potential."

This article speaks volumes about how many sheep there are in today's tech
scene. We need more lions. They are the ones who challenge the leaders and
actually move things forward.

~~~
jodrellblank
I sense some bias in your username.

ahem.

Why must we revive the 'intellectual joy' of it? What does that mean - he
wants to prescribe how people should behave so they/we are doing something he
finds joyful? If not that meaning, what meaning?

And if not for the business potential, then to what end must we have more
undirected churning through the potentials of CS? I'm guessing that most of
the 'potential' will be the digital equivalent of earwax cake - potentially
doable but so what?

Guess I'll have to read his book to find out. :/

~~~
rblion
\- It's not bias. It's life purpose.

\- CS is an extension of physics. If Newton didn't write Principia, America
would not have happened, nor would have Apple Computers. CS attracted me
because of the possibility to improve civilization for the better by advancing
science.

\- Money is freedom to an extent, then it becomes a fetter.

\- You don't even have to read his book. Just think for yourself.

~~~
shadowfox
> If Newton didn't write Principia, America would not have happened

That made me curious. What is the chain of causation here?

~~~
rblion
Do you know how much Newton's work impacted Jefferson? It was almost as much
as Bob Dylan's influence on Steve Jobs.

------
narrator
The guy takes the other side of every single technological debate out there
that doesn't have an official pundit for the other side, often with amusing
results. For instance, I really enjoyed watching him tell all the singularity
guys what a bunch of science fiction obsessed delusionals they were at a panel
discussion a few years back.

However, I often find that he is the go-to-guy for people who can't come up
with a good sounding argument for why they don't like this or that new
technological trend.

~~~
rblion
His ideas have less to do with 'this or that new technological trend' and more
to do with the overall trajectory of human progress. Just look at the bigger
picture...

------
nickpinkston
Having not read Jaron's book, this article piqued my interest in doing so -
along with the good Amazon reviews. <http://amzn.to/bn1Xyj>. Probably the best
book to challenge my preconceived notions of tech.

~~~
Estragon
Where do you get those shortened amazon links?

~~~
mcantelon
bit.ly makes 'em.

~~~
Estragon
That's not a bit.ly domain, though. It redirects to amazon.

~~~
mcantelon
bit.ly has a number of domains specifically for shortening the URL of major
sites like Amazon. The New York Times is another one that, if you put it in
bit.ly, will use a NYT-specific domain. Maybe these sites have their own URL
shortening APIs that bit.ly is leveraging?

------
gaius
For some reason, Jaron Lanier always reminds me of Magical Trevor:
<http://www.weebls-stuff.com/songs/magical+trevor/>

------
pedanticfreak
Is anyone else bothered by the economist magazine's lack of bylines? It's like
4chan for free-trade capitalists.

