Bill Joy wrote a very long article cleverly titled, “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us.” This is a WONDERFUL article! I even read it twice!!! Boy, did I have fun. Despite my enthusiasm, the article had some interesting points about advanced technology and the risk it brings.
There are two main quotes I liked. The first one is, “In our time, how much danger do we face, not only from nuclear weapons, but from all of technologies? How high are the extinction risks?”
The second quote I liked is, “I have always believed that making software more reliable, given its many uses, will make the world a safer place and better place; if I were to come to believe the opposite, then I would be morally obligated to stop this work.”
This got me thinking about my growing nieces. They’re young, but very knowledgeable about surfing the web and playing games. I’m proud that they are explaining their knowledge, but at the same time I’m scared of the potential dirty old men (DOM’s) on the other end. It will still be a couple more years before they open email accounts, Facebook, or begin chatting over the web. As a caring and awesome aunt I worry about predators, especially since I’ve watched Dateline NBC’s “To Catch a Predator.” It’s one thing to monitor what they do over the web, but what technology doesn’t prevent are the DOMs that are ready to strike.
As technology enhances year by year, the more creative DOMs become. I can’t even imagine where the web will be when my nieces turn into aunts themselves. I won’t deprive them of knowledge and learning the benefits of the web. I know I won’t always be there to protect them, but I can only teach them about the potential risks the web can bring, just as Joy talks about with advanced technology and the risk it brings.
Lily embracing change....
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