I have to admit that I have not read Jaron Lanier’s “Who Owns the Future?“, but mainstream media seems to be filled with snippets from the book. Often described as a visionary, Lanier has become one of the most prominent and outspoken critics of the digital economy. The most publicised Read more
People who have met me in real life know that most of the time I’m a patient and easy-going kind of guy (despite rumours to the contrary, I do exist outside of the virtual realms). My usually mild disposition is only broken by few things in life: inappropriate use of Read more
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that stem cell methods are not patentable. This is not a particularly exciting piece of news in itself, but I have taken notice because this is yet another example of regulation which I believe is informed by technophobic tendencies. During the first Read more
Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Marshall MacLuhan’s birthday, and the event was greeted by many as an opportunity to reflect on his life and works. McLuhan has become the prophet of modern media, his writings and phrases are cited everywhere as being eerily prescient. I was reminded of McLuhan Read more
Finished reading yet another semi-Luddite piece against e-books in today’s Guardian. The author says: “The valedictories for what is now disdainfully called “dead tree publishing” may be similarly premature. The lessons from history are that technological progress is uneven, that consumers are often sceptical of techno-hype, and that new technologies Read more
I must admit that I am yet to read The Shallows by Nicolas Carr, this summer’s book to hate, but I have read some interesting reviews, particularly Scott Rosenberg’s. However, I notice that the book has been making the rounds in the British press (I assume Carr may be out Read more
Before starting to criticise Jaron Lanier’s “You Are Not a Gadget”, I have to state clearly that this is an important book that should be read by anyone interested in debating the role the Internet plays in modern society. However one may want to criticise its content, and there are Read more
As someone who often bemoans technophobia, I feel the obligation to point out its opposite when it makes an appearance. I have read the unintentionally funny named article in TechCrunch “Dear Authors, Your Next Book Should be an App, Not an iBook”. Here the author gushes about the iPad, repeats Read more
Ah, 1995, the early days of the Internet. Windows 95. The Clinton era. Apollo 13. The Unabomber Manifesto. And in Newsweek, a columnist says that the Internet is all hype. He said: “But today, I’m uneasy about this most trendy and oversold community. Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers, Read more
Technophobia, Luddism and techno-scepticism are topics close to my heart. I have heard about Jaron Nanier’s You Are Not a Gadget, but I have not read it yet. That is why I want to point people towards this excellent review by the Technology Liberation Front (one of my new favourites). Read more