As I read The Viral Me, I found it pretty entertaining at first, the subtle humor Friedman used was pretty cool. When I read about Jiggity’s plan to invent something that can turn the iPhone into this super hand held machine, that can do nearly everything except walk your dog (who knows, they might invent an app for that) I was extremely impressed. Primarily because we, by ‘we’ I am referring to humanity, has come so far in technology that these things can actually be created. No longer do we have to say “wouldn’t it be cool if (insert device here) could…” because the conversation shifted to “I am going to make (insert device here) do…”
However, when I got to the part where Friedman began to describe eevox’s social element as one “where you will be able to see all your friends all the time” I had to step on the brakes. Do not get me wrong I love my friends but that does not mean I want to be monitored, what is this—Prison Break? In addition, he mentioned the “coming era of the kinder, gentler panopticon, when all our lives will be transparent.” What the hell kind of shit is that, do I look like I want my life to be transparent, if that was the case I would have gotten a reality show, since it is being offered to everyone and their mother (I exaggerate of course, but you get the point).
If you think that was bad, picture my reaction when I read about Rapportive, “an application that inserts the social layer into every e-mail you receive.” In other words, when someone sends you an email (or vice versa) they are also sending you their life, from their occupation to their recent activities. Hell they might as well add their social security number and credit card while at it. Furthermore, it seems as if these people (Rahul, Jiggity, and the whole SiliPY-ONcONE Valley technoStalkers) seem to have no problem with it. Like what the fu…hell is wrong with them. It is like they are bent on turning the world into a peer-to-peer Neighborhood Watch program. We cannot win because it seems with each step man or woman takes, in terms of improving technology, they jump two steps ahead with ways to better ‘see’ us.
SLMA: Social Layer My ASS
in a postmodern era where this sort of recycling occurs in fashion, academia, architecture, and art etc. It's the current status quo. What harm is it causing? An optimistic view fantasies about improved products and more intellegently designed technology. This is a new improved form of research. It could change the way we interact with each other. If everything is dull and needs a heightened stimuli, through which is attenable through research, society could progress more liberally, less conservatively. This information collected about society will help future generations create new cities in outer space. What if humanity could life in space in one hundred years. The current generation will be exploited and used as Ginny pigs. But what is wrong with being Ginny pigs? Business and economics have eclipsed politics, for now, until a new world is made in outer space. From another angle this is a political dream to know everything about everyone, so that control can be enforced. Perhaps our trash cans should be monitored so that we can all be forced to recycle and compost. What if not only our online activity was monitored but also activity with in our homes? Would this information be used to improve the home?
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