Monday, October 17, 2005
Techno Rant
I haven't thought of a title of this entry. Any suggestions? I could go on like normal; no money, job sucks, tired...blah blah blah. I am not feeling that right now.
What I am feeling is think about the net. I am thinking about all the high tech gadgets and gizmos that we have. I was looking a MP3/digital music players online, it occurs to me this shit is expensive. That may seem like an obvious conclusion to anyone but really think about it for a minute. All of the cutting edge new fangled stuff. say for example the new video Ipod.
[Ok, I tried to put a picture of the damn thing her but for some reason the damn thing won't let me. So if you want to see it go Google it the link is somewhere on the page dammit.]
The point I was trying to get to before technology onlce again failed me was that this expensive stuff. These gadgets are going to go the way of the Atari 2600. Twenty million Ipods and once something that works better, is smaller, and oh yeah, a whole lot cheaper comes along they are going into the bargin basement.
It isn't just that these things are expensive that has me thinking, it is also the fact that you have a lot of people who just won't be able to afford this stuff. Computers and mp3 players and burners and digital phones and such cost money. $200 bucks to me is a lot of money. I am happy for you if you don't feel the same (and feel free to send me some money), but to me it is. I think I could win the three hundred million dollar powerball and two hundred would still seem like a lot of money. And I know that it is a lot of money to a lot of people.
Here is my real question--in a world where it seems like new things come along every two seconds and none of it is cheap and lets be honest here...most of it is unnessary crap--how do you keep up? How do you buy your son or daughter the Ipod that all the friends have? What if you don't have a computer and the only way to find out some information is online?
You thnk that is just a joke? Try finding tax information right now. Go on I will wait. In a few seconds at Google you can find what you need. If you don't have the net then what? I know of schools that put the homework online and send parents information. What about the people with no access? If either because of poverty, or maybe they just ain't into all this techno-crap or possibly they scrimped and saved and bought a computer 3 years before and now they don't have the correct software or hardware so they are just obsolete?
Maybe that is what the poor are in America. I am not talking about homeless and jobless and disenfranchised. I am talking about the working poor. The guys and gal that bust their asses working for minimum wage and then one day they come home to watch TV and oh, yeah it's all gone over to digital so your crappy TV that still has rabbit ears doesn't work? What happens when it is assumed by the ruling elite that everyone is just like they are and that there are no poor so why can't everone just do what they do? They think everyone can go online and knows how or really even wants to and there are no poor kids who would love a computer but let's be honest there is no way mom and dad could afford the monthly ISP fees never mind the cost of the computer.
It's called the digital divide. To me it's sounds more like the have and have nots and even worse, it sounds like a whole lot of "let them eat cake" by the rich and what is left of the middle class.
What I am feeling is think about the net. I am thinking about all the high tech gadgets and gizmos that we have. I was looking a MP3/digital music players online, it occurs to me this shit is expensive. That may seem like an obvious conclusion to anyone but really think about it for a minute. All of the cutting edge new fangled stuff. say for example the new video Ipod.
[Ok, I tried to put a picture of the damn thing her but for some reason the damn thing won't let me. So if you want to see it go Google it the link is somewhere on the page dammit.]
The point I was trying to get to before technology onlce again failed me was that this expensive stuff. These gadgets are going to go the way of the Atari 2600. Twenty million Ipods and once something that works better, is smaller, and oh yeah, a whole lot cheaper comes along they are going into the bargin basement.
It isn't just that these things are expensive that has me thinking, it is also the fact that you have a lot of people who just won't be able to afford this stuff. Computers and mp3 players and burners and digital phones and such cost money. $200 bucks to me is a lot of money. I am happy for you if you don't feel the same (and feel free to send me some money), but to me it is. I think I could win the three hundred million dollar powerball and two hundred would still seem like a lot of money. And I know that it is a lot of money to a lot of people.
Here is my real question--in a world where it seems like new things come along every two seconds and none of it is cheap and lets be honest here...most of it is unnessary crap--how do you keep up? How do you buy your son or daughter the Ipod that all the friends have? What if you don't have a computer and the only way to find out some information is online?
You thnk that is just a joke? Try finding tax information right now. Go on I will wait. In a few seconds at Google you can find what you need. If you don't have the net then what? I know of schools that put the homework online and send parents information. What about the people with no access? If either because of poverty, or maybe they just ain't into all this techno-crap or possibly they scrimped and saved and bought a computer 3 years before and now they don't have the correct software or hardware so they are just obsolete?
Maybe that is what the poor are in America. I am not talking about homeless and jobless and disenfranchised. I am talking about the working poor. The guys and gal that bust their asses working for minimum wage and then one day they come home to watch TV and oh, yeah it's all gone over to digital so your crappy TV that still has rabbit ears doesn't work? What happens when it is assumed by the ruling elite that everyone is just like they are and that there are no poor so why can't everone just do what they do? They think everyone can go online and knows how or really even wants to and there are no poor kids who would love a computer but let's be honest there is no way mom and dad could afford the monthly ISP fees never mind the cost of the computer.
It's called the digital divide. To me it's sounds more like the have and have nots and even worse, it sounds like a whole lot of "let them eat cake" by the rich and what is left of the middle class.
* * *
I am tired. I am done writing tonight. If you wonder about the above rant it was actually inspired by the fact that soon the government is going to go to a digital standard for TVs. Now right now you can get a regular TV for a hundred bucks. Less even. From what I know of digital TVs. They are over a grand. And then you need a decoder box to even pick up the signals. Can you hear the cash registers?
I believe TV was once called the opiate of the people. Or was that religion? Maybe both. TV took over religion. Think about it, who do you know who goes to church on Sunday? Now who do you know who watchs football on Sunday? Can you imagine what would happen if a large portion of the United States no longer had TV? People might actually wake up, look around, and realise how fucked up things are. Or, because they don't have their drug any longer they might just rip the whole fucking system down in violent uprisings against TV stations and other media outlets. The people will burn internet cafes to the ground and if you are found with an IPOD you will be forced to eat it or it will be shoved up your ass. WiFi hotspots will burn to the ground and cell towers will be used to hang the bodies of IT people and techno firm bosses.
Maybe that is all we need? A little cultural revolution. Laterzzz....
// posted by Biff Manly @ 6:48 AM 
