That is to say, as we strive for better and better tools along a single axis, at some point the social dynamics shift markedly, even though it’s just “more of the same”. Digital distribution was just better distribution, but it changed the very nature of journalism, music, and others. Writing on computers changed writing. And the list goes on.
“This is just the next thing in a long line of things” is how we technologists escape the disquieting notion that we are running more and more wild social experiments.
That is to say, as we strive for better and better tools along a single axis, at some point the social dynamics shift markedly, even though it’s just “more of the same”. Digital distribution was just better distribution, but it changed the very nature of journalism, music, and others. Writing on computers changed writing. And the list goes on.
“This is just the next thing in a long line of things” is how we technologists escape the disquieting notion that we are running more and more wild social experiments.