Advancing Technology - Boon or a Bane for leading a Simple Life
Last evening I was reading a couple of articles on "Big Data" by Bernard Marr, Influencer, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Leading Business and Data Expert, on LinkedIn May 27, 2013, titled "What The Heck is... Big Data?" and yet another by the same author Bernard Marr, Influencer, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Leading Business and Data Expert, on LinkedIn, and this penned in later on Aug 27, 2013, titled "Big Data: The Mega-Trend That Will Impact All Our Lives.."
I shared it with a dear friend of mine through mail and this note
Dear Bobji,
I know you do not fancy technology, but, I thought I'll share with you a small document which talks abut a major shift that's taking place in the world of technology. Again in the near future there is going to be a major shake up in the world of computing, and this is what they've names as "Big Data."
This simple article/s will banish the myth.
I'm sure you'll find it interesting.
Warm regards,
TSK. Raman
He saw it, read and sent me this reponse.
Dear Ramanji:
Thanks for interesting article.
I am not averse per say for technology developments, but a constant nagging thought is “are we - [A] “mining a lot of data or information?” and – [B] does it lead us to simplifying life!!!
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. Is it of any avail?
Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.
Science and technology in ancient and medieval India covered all the major branches of human knowledge and activities, yet there was a sense of contentment and growth,
Not to belittle developments across the world, what makes it more amusing is:
a. We have more mobiles than toilets - resulting in implicit expectation that you should be able to reach someone when it is convenient for you, regardless of whether it is convenient for them.
b. Multi tasking is a buzz word - We text while we’re walking across the street, catch up on email while standing in a queue – and while having lunch with friends, we surreptitiously check to see what our other friends are doing. We write our shopping lists on smartphones while we are listening to that wonderfully informative podcast on urban beekeeping.
c. Letter writing vs. email - We had to invest some effort in letter writing. We would sit down with pen and paper, or at a typewriter, and carefully compose a message. There wasn't anything about the medium that lent itself to dashing off quick notes without giving them much thought, partly because of the ritual involved, and the time it took to write a note, find and address an envelope, add postage, and take the letter to a mailbox. The very act of writing a note or letter to someone took this many steps, and was spread out over time. we didn't go to the trouble unless we had something important to say. Email’s Indicate immediacy, most of us give little thought to typing up any little thing that pops in our heads and hitting the send button as email doesn't cost anything.
d. Texting and Mobiles - If I may dare say so, they have become modern day dinosaurs. We have in our own lifetimes experienced the Joy of communication over phone. At times exasperating, there was an element of excitement and Joy, today, mobiles have become the " conscience keeper" of Love and Hate.
Texting by teenagers, precipitate disasters as never before, leading to the current travails of moral turpitude.
Every time I assess and re-check my feelings to validate my intelligence, honestly the summing up would be " we dispatch an email in one way or another, we feel a sense of accomplishment, having achieved something. Each time I do an Facebook update, I encounter something novel and feel more connected socially in a kind of weird, impersonal cyber way. It is the dumb, novelty-seeking portion of the brain driving the limbic system that induces this feeling of pleasure, not the planning, scheduling, OR higher-level thought centers dwelling into an effort of fulfillment.
Does modern day technology like email-, Facebook- and Twitter-checking constitute a neural addiction. ?
I enjoyed preparing this response, thanks for the stimulating provided ?
I am still discovering - whether I am NEUROTIC or ERRATIC, or BOTH.
Regards,
Bob
I acknowledged it this way
Dear Bobji,
I'm more than delighted to receive your response.
As your style is and has been, profound to someone like me as always, and hard-hitting to the geeks, nerds, and the naive.
You've been slightly diplomatic when you say you are not averse to technology, but for someone like me who fell into the technology hole, if I am not sounding rude, it is a "ditch" which kept sucking me in. Interesting in the beginning for someone with curiosity, but far too hyped, for the comfort of someone like me who was, and still is rooted to reality.
I can't agree with you more when you say, "constant nagging thought is “are we [A] “mining a lot of data or information?” yes we are, and to my discomfort my privacy is invaded every moment. As for the next "[B] does it lead us to simplifying life!!!" I would say, it isn't, on the contrary it's leading us to more complications. This is also my response to your next statement, "Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. Is it of any avail?"
I would say, 'certainly not.'
Absolutely true, "Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted."
I can go on just agreeing with every word of your response, and just murmur within me..."agree, agreed...till infinity..."
Immense thanks for both your time taken to read what I shared and also for your lucid response. It was sheer joy, and yet another education.
Take care.
Warm regards,
Raman
I thought of sharing this with you for the purity and the clarity of the exchanges, including the thoughts. I trust yu enjoyed reading it through.
Last evening I was reading a couple of articles on "Big Data" by Bernard Marr, Influencer, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Leading Business and Data Expert, on LinkedIn May 27, 2013, titled "What The Heck is... Big Data?" and yet another by the same author Bernard Marr, Influencer, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Leading Business and Data Expert, on LinkedIn, and this penned in later on Aug 27, 2013, titled "Big Data: The Mega-Trend That Will Impact All Our Lives.."
I shared it with a dear friend of mine through mail and this note
Dear Bobji,
I know you do not fancy technology, but, I thought I'll share with you a small document which talks abut a major shift that's taking place in the world of technology. Again in the near future there is going to be a major shake up in the world of computing, and this is what they've names as "Big Data."
This simple article/s will banish the myth.
I'm sure you'll find it interesting.
Warm regards,
TSK. Raman
He saw it, read and sent me this reponse.
Dear Ramanji:
Thanks for interesting article.
I am not averse per say for technology developments, but a constant nagging thought is “are we - [A] “mining a lot of data or information?” and – [B] does it lead us to simplifying life!!!
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. Is it of any avail?
Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.
Science and technology in ancient and medieval India covered all the major branches of human knowledge and activities, yet there was a sense of contentment and growth,
Not to belittle developments across the world, what makes it more amusing is:
a. We have more mobiles than toilets - resulting in implicit expectation that you should be able to reach someone when it is convenient for you, regardless of whether it is convenient for them.
b. Multi tasking is a buzz word - We text while we’re walking across the street, catch up on email while standing in a queue – and while having lunch with friends, we surreptitiously check to see what our other friends are doing. We write our shopping lists on smartphones while we are listening to that wonderfully informative podcast on urban beekeeping.
c. Letter writing vs. email - We had to invest some effort in letter writing. We would sit down with pen and paper, or at a typewriter, and carefully compose a message. There wasn't anything about the medium that lent itself to dashing off quick notes without giving them much thought, partly because of the ritual involved, and the time it took to write a note, find and address an envelope, add postage, and take the letter to a mailbox. The very act of writing a note or letter to someone took this many steps, and was spread out over time. we didn't go to the trouble unless we had something important to say. Email’s Indicate immediacy, most of us give little thought to typing up any little thing that pops in our heads and hitting the send button as email doesn't cost anything.
d. Texting and Mobiles - If I may dare say so, they have become modern day dinosaurs. We have in our own lifetimes experienced the Joy of communication over phone. At times exasperating, there was an element of excitement and Joy, today, mobiles have become the " conscience keeper" of Love and Hate.
Texting by teenagers, precipitate disasters as never before, leading to the current travails of moral turpitude.
Every time I assess and re-check my feelings to validate my intelligence, honestly the summing up would be " we dispatch an email in one way or another, we feel a sense of accomplishment, having achieved something. Each time I do an Facebook update, I encounter something novel and feel more connected socially in a kind of weird, impersonal cyber way. It is the dumb, novelty-seeking portion of the brain driving the limbic system that induces this feeling of pleasure, not the planning, scheduling, OR higher-level thought centers dwelling into an effort of fulfillment.
Does modern day technology like email-, Facebook- and Twitter-checking constitute a neural addiction. ?
I enjoyed preparing this response, thanks for the stimulating provided ?
I am still discovering - whether I am NEUROTIC or ERRATIC, or BOTH.
Regards,
Bob
I acknowledged it this way
Dear Bobji,
I'm more than delighted to receive your response.
As your style is and has been, profound to someone like me as always, and hard-hitting to the geeks, nerds, and the naive.
You've been slightly diplomatic when you say you are not averse to technology, but for someone like me who fell into the technology hole, if I am not sounding rude, it is a "ditch" which kept sucking me in. Interesting in the beginning for someone with curiosity, but far too hyped, for the comfort of someone like me who was, and still is rooted to reality.
I can't agree with you more when you say, "constant nagging thought is “are we [A] “mining a lot of data or information?” yes we are, and to my discomfort my privacy is invaded every moment. As for the next "[B] does it lead us to simplifying life!!!" I would say, it isn't, on the contrary it's leading us to more complications. This is also my response to your next statement, "Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. Is it of any avail?"
I would say, 'certainly not.'
Absolutely true, "Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted."
I can go on just agreeing with every word of your response, and just murmur within me..."agree, agreed...till infinity..."
Immense thanks for both your time taken to read what I shared and also for your lucid response. It was sheer joy, and yet another education.
Take care.
Warm regards,
Raman
I thought of sharing this with you for the purity and the clarity of the exchanges, including the thoughts. I trust yu enjoyed reading it through.
