3/10/07

Let's have some discussion !!!

I created this blog to have some debate over the benefits and counter-benefits of living in this highly technological world. So all comments are welcome and desired, I would like this site to be a meeting point for everyone that has an opinion about this topic.

This is a moderated blog, I would like to keep a high standard of communication, whilst allowing lively discussions, so please keep your opinions within a reasonable level of common sense and good manners. No personal offenses of any type will be allowed, nor rude language. If you have the absolute need to say a four letter word, please use euphemistic representations, or emoticons.

Once I have laid down the principles (and these are very few as you can see), let me express some initial opinions to get this thing going.


Techno-living is great!
The technological world sucks!

You have probably heard these two contradictory statements more than once, and most probably both where justified in a certain context.
Why is that? Why do we usually have mixed feelings about the situation in which we have to live? I would like to elaborate on these, and hear your opinions:


We think the technology is great when we make use of it, of course. When we are in need of something and the answer comes from technology, we feel very happy to live in the developed world.
For example, you are waiting at the theater to get a ticket and the movie starts in 5 minutes... you know you'll never make it and the kids are pulling your vest asking for pop-corn and soda and... you name it. Just flip your cell phone open, click a few keys and voila!, you have the ticket selling website in front of you, asking how many tickets you would like to have. Some clicks after that you walk to the automated ticket dispenser, credit card in hand, and get those 4 tickets in a second: forget the waiting line, enjoy your film and... hey, don't forget the pop corn, you promised it!!

That's great, ain't it? Who can complain about it?



Now after the film walk away to your car, press the remote control button to open the car's door... nothing happens. The manual lock is broken since seven years, since you don't use it anyway... press again... nothing happens.

Kids start asking questions, you start asking not-so-nice questions to the air... Then you remember: “I've got 24h service, just a call away” bring your cell phone up... you realize that the number is inside the car. It starts raining... you wish you have stayed at home watching TV... maybe start swearing at the car, the rain, ... mmmm .... no, not at the kids, poor victims as you are. In the old days, you opened the car turning the keys,
not with a d...ed remote control!!!


Now it doesn't look so great !!

Obviously, as everything in life, this is very subjective, there are no absolute values... or are there?


In next postings I'll try to establish a set of absolute values about technological benefits or problems, but of course I will be glad to have your opinions and proposals about it.