For technology to become invisible, it would have to surround us so much that we wouldn't even be aware of it. It makes me think of a light switch. Once we know where the light switch is in a room, we forget about it and turning the lights on and off just becomes a natural reflex. We don't have to process with our minds how to find and turn on the light switch. It's just there for us to use and forget about. Making technology like that could be dangerous, because technology has a lot more power than a light switch. If we're not aware of what technology is doing, we never know what risks we might be facing. Most technology today has so much information about us stored up in its memory, with some of that info being confidential. Giving machines the ability to do things without us knowing could put our identities and safety at risk. Seeing gives us control.
I really like your example of the light switch, we often forget just how profoundly technology has invaded our lives and faded into the background. By becoming more conscious of these sorts of mechanisms we take for granted on a daily basis, it might be easier to limit the level in which our lives our ruled by them. This could certainly be applied to the modern work force. In the introduction, when Carr references the FAA-compiled research stating that a pilot's excessive dependence on automation might "Lead to the degradation of the pilot's ability to quickly recover the aircraft from an undesired state," we see an example very early on of individuals becoming so used to having an automated that the invisibility of this technology can lead to very dangerous situations. If a light switch has a broken fails to work, the room is left dark. If an airplane's autopilot malfunctions on and overly dependent pilot, the consequences could be deadly.
For technology to become invisible it would have to become a part of us. Something we use without knowing it, but it would need to be depended on so heavily and used so often that we would need it for daily life functions. A great example I found is the blind man and his cane. The blind man can not see the world around him but the cane allows him to walk and move safely through environments. The blind man needs to cane for daily life functions. He can not move without the cane or he would hurt himself or another human being. Some would say that the cane is part of the blind man, almost as if it is replacing his sight. The same goes for hearing aids. A near deaf woman can not hear particularly well, but with the help of a hearing aid she can hear just fine. It is replacing her ears that she uses for hearing with technology. She can not perform daily life functions fluently without the hearing aids. I feel as if it would feel like putting on your ears. The hearing aids would be apart of her. With senses, the invisibility of technology is very nice to have. You can go on about your day in a somewhat normal fashion due to the easily accessible and only slightly restraining technology. With software, technology being invisible is nice to have also but it can lead to some things we may not want happening. With viruses nowadays you don't even see the virus half the time. You go to the website and then your computer randomly pops up with errors and you can not do anything about it. You never see the software that invades your private emails, it just happens and the average person is unable to stop this from happening. This is why web security is very popular. It is almost essential when surfing the web to have some sort of protection. Even with protection though some viruses can still get through and hackers can still access your private information. I think with the technology we have today, no one should feel their information is truly private when on a computer.
To become invisible, technology would have to have to possess such a grip on society that humans could no longer live without it. Of course, I don't mean that literally, but more in the sense that a heroin addict can't live without heroin. In the same way heroin increases its control over the poor addict every time he shoots up, technology also increases its hold on us the more we abuse it. A product such as Google Glass could have disastrous results. Imagine a device constantly strapped to your head that constantly gathers information, logging searches, purchase history, and places frequented. And the worst part is that if Silicon Valley had its way, we'd never notice how helpless we are. Shrinking technology beyond a certain point doesn't make it more convenient; it only makes the shackles it places on us less noticeable.
I think the easiest way for technology to become invisible is how user friendly it is. Brayden’s example of a light switch is a perfect example. It is literally a flip of a switch, which is a vast improvement from lighting a candle or gas lamp. When something is that easy, we stop thinking about what it is and why it is that easy to use.
For technology to become invisible, it would have to surround us so much that we wouldn't even be aware of it. It makes me think of a light switch. Once we know where the light switch is in a room, we forget about it and turning the lights on and off just becomes a natural reflex. We don't have to process with our minds how to find and turn on the light switch. It's just there for us to use and forget about. Making technology like that could be dangerous, because technology has a lot more power than a light switch. If we're not aware of what technology is doing, we never know what risks we might be facing. Most technology today has so much information about us stored up in its memory, with some of that info being confidential. Giving machines the ability to do things without us knowing could put our identities and safety at risk. Seeing gives us control.
ReplyDeleteI really like your example of the light switch, we often forget just how profoundly technology has invaded our lives and faded into the background. By becoming more conscious of these sorts of mechanisms we take for granted on a daily basis, it might be easier to limit the level in which our lives our ruled by them. This could certainly be applied to the modern work force. In the introduction, when Carr references the FAA-compiled research stating that a pilot's excessive dependence on automation might "Lead to the degradation of the pilot's ability to quickly recover the aircraft from an undesired state," we see an example very early on of individuals becoming so used to having an automated that the invisibility of this technology can lead to very dangerous situations. If a light switch has a broken fails to work, the room is left dark. If an airplane's autopilot malfunctions on and overly dependent pilot, the consequences could be deadly.
DeleteFor technology to become invisible it would have to become a part of us. Something we use without knowing it, but it would need to be depended on so heavily and used so often that we would need it for daily life functions. A great example I found is the blind man and his cane. The blind man can not see the world around him but the cane allows him to walk and move safely through environments. The blind man needs to cane for daily life functions. He can not move without the cane or he would hurt himself or another human being. Some would say that the cane is part of the blind man, almost as if it is replacing his sight. The same goes for hearing aids. A near deaf woman can not hear particularly well, but with the help of a hearing aid she can hear just fine. It is replacing her ears that she uses for hearing with technology. She can not perform daily life functions fluently without the hearing aids. I feel as if it would feel like putting on your ears. The hearing aids would be apart of her. With senses, the invisibility of technology is very nice to have. You can go on about your day in a somewhat normal fashion due to the easily accessible and only slightly restraining technology. With software, technology being invisible is nice to have also but it can lead to some things we may not want happening. With viruses nowadays you don't even see the virus half the time. You go to the website and then your computer randomly pops up with errors and you can not do anything about it. You never see the software that invades your private emails, it just happens and the average person is unable to stop this from happening. This is why web security is very popular. It is almost essential when surfing the web to have some sort of protection. Even with protection though some viruses can still get through and hackers can still access your private information. I think with the technology we have today, no one should feel their information is truly private when on a computer.
ReplyDeleteTo become invisible, technology would have to have to possess such a grip on society that humans could no longer live without it. Of course, I don't mean that literally, but more in the sense that a heroin addict can't live without heroin. In the same way heroin increases its control over the poor addict every time he shoots up, technology also increases its hold on us the more we abuse it. A product such as Google Glass could have disastrous results. Imagine a device constantly strapped to your head that constantly gathers information, logging searches, purchase history, and places frequented. And the worst part is that if Silicon Valley had its way, we'd never notice how helpless we are. Shrinking technology beyond a certain point doesn't make it more convenient; it only makes the shackles it places on us less noticeable.
ReplyDeleteI think the easiest way for technology to become invisible is how user friendly it is. Brayden’s example of a light switch is a perfect example. It is literally a flip of a switch, which is a vast improvement from lighting a candle or gas lamp. When something is that easy, we stop thinking about what it is and why it is that easy to use.
ReplyDelete