How do you currently perceive technology and politics?

SPC David S. — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:18:58 -0500

Do you feel technology and politics contribute to society in a positive manner or do you feel they are becoming increasingly more controlling/negative?

While the article is a couple of years old I do feel a paradigm shift is approaching as politics and technology have become the dominate voices in society. As such society seems to be evolving into a state of "perpetually triggered" with it eroding the shibboleth that a desirable existence is possible in "the pursuit of happiness". What are your thoughts and ideas in mitigating the negatives and or encouraging the positive uses of technology and politics.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4761458/Ex-Facebook-exec-says-society-collapse-30-years.html

Ex Facebook exec warns robots will lead to society collapsing

Antonio García Martinez, a former Facebook product manager, became terrified of tech and quit his job to live a recluse life with a bucket toilet and assault weapon in the woods.

Response by PO3 Phyllis Maynard made Feb 5 at 2019 2:20 PM

PO3 Phyllis Maynard — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:20:13 -0500

I agree with your commentary SPC David S.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Feb 5 at 2019 2:24 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:24:11 -0500

SPC David S. Like anything Else, Technology can be Used and Abused. 21 Years as a Spook, Involved in Electronic Warfare definitely Influences My Opinion.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2019 2:42 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:42:48 -0500

Technology is going to be our downfall. We’ve already seen the start of that over the last 10 years.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2019 5:46 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 17:46:42 -0500

Clearly the use of technology has had a negative impact on society.
The recent devaluations on the refinement of the use of technology to take videos of someone talking and changing the word to whatever the producer wants will give a whole new meaning to fake news.
News media should be neutral, who, what, when, where, why, and how. That isn't that case, and it is being used to influence people based on their leanings. It's one thing to skew some data, or select a graphic that skews it, but omission of facts is now a regular practice.
The upside, at least for those who are caught on video saying or doing something stupid, is it gives them an out.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2019 6:50 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 18:50:14 -0500

The problem with technology is not the technology. It is the same problem we have always had with communication in general. Technology allows for it to approach the speed of light! Add into the mix the foul world of politics and the sham show hits light-speed as well. It is now who can broadcast their message the proverbial loudest. Now enter the technology companies who have taken sides in the political arena and all of a sudden a megaphone is put on certain messages while others are gagged. This seriously distorts the reality and can push whole groups of people in certain directions.

Right now, we depend on large corporation to get the right algorithms for search on the net. Unfortunately, these algorithms come with human biases built in. Again, another skew to the truth. Until we get semi-AI personal secretaries that can search the web for us, bypassing the search engines, we are stuck in this world of skewed results.

I believe at some point we will hit a critical mass of rejection and the pendulum will swing the other way. As technology progresses I believe humanity will fracture into information tribes; each believing their information is correct. The tribes will coexist with their information neighbors and maybe the next set of neighbors (left and right) but the extreme ends of the spectrum will still be the extreme of the spectrum.

I believe that every human was born with good in their heart. They want to survive and perpetuate the human species. I also believe that we typically maintain enough population in the middle ground tribes to be successful at this drive. I also believe that we no longer have a century to ease into the next (r)evolution (renaissance, industrial info, etc). The info age was the last age for that long of a timeline. We are now in the decades and even single digit years to measure change. And humans resist change! Unless they embrace change. I think that generation will begin being born over the next 20 years.

Right now, we can't fix it. We need to let evolution fix it. And evolution will become measured in single decades instead of centuries or eons. Learn to swim - or drown. As far as the pursuit of happiness goes; you need to define happiness and pursue it. Vigorously!