Scott Fisher

One takeaway from last night's seminar, where much of our faculty was agressively browbeaten and put down.

Mr. Sterling was quite the rabble-rouser. Even now, several weeks later I look back upon that evening and feel the tension.

Regardless, it was interesting to hear his ideas about where technology will lead our culture. It was also quite stirring to be reminded of our species impact on this earth. Mainly, that the many coffee cups I get from 7-11 are still in existence somewhere in a landfill. That's a scary thought, and one that makes me hope for better solutions for us to maintain a balance for our species output. I don't have anything close to a solution....somebody?

I'd like to review the video.

Spimes

Totally entertaining evening, though I'm really glad I never had to pick his daughter up from the prom. That would have been frightening.

I think the paranoia about RFIDs is healthy to a degree, but seriously, I've been plying with Keyhole/Google Earth for years and I'm totally addicted to how interesting/useful the sucker is despite the fact that the idea of satellite photography used to be the end-all for the invasion of privacy paranoia a few years ago.

Wow. All I can say after thinking back on that night was wow.

I can see how people are uncomfortable with the idea of being tagged. We do it to animals to follow them and keep track of them all the time and it is no big deal. But, then again, it never crosses our minds that we are invading their privacy. It's just to collect data.

Tagging each other is completely different. While the proponents are stating that they too only want to collect data, or use it to distribute data, the idea of being found at any time scares us. An Orwellian Big Brother image appears in our heads and we are against the idea.

The thing is, I believe that the same was said about sattelites, at least those that are used to take pictures of Earth. The government does use them on occasion, of that I am sure, but I don't believe that we have felt any less free because of it.

I will grant that we could easily and gladly give up our freedom in little steps saying the same thing.

I guess what this all boils down to is that I'm not sure how to feel about being tagged.

The disagreement between Mark and Bruce was interesting to watch. I think what was missing from the argument was that while it's true that the current economic system in North America is healthier for us than any other system we've tried, it's incredibly wastefull and damaging for people elsewhere who are supplying the US with raw goods, or being shipped our refuse.

I don't see how knowing the complete history of an object is going to change how I use it. If I pick up a cup of coffee on the way to class, and can know that the cup started life out as a pen, and was later recylced in to a cup, it doesn't change how I use it. Really, I don't see how extra data, or products that can be infinitly recycled, are going to change consumer habits, other than inducing people to consume more. After all, if I know that whatever I use and throw out will be used again by somebody else, what incentive do I have to not waste it?

Also, Atlas Shrugged is my favorite book.

I think I should become a futurist and just predict things that will happen in the next five minutes. I predict in five minutes... I will be posting a comment on the 511 Seamus Blackley blog. Isn't the only way to be a credible futurist to be dead? How do you train to be a futurist? Does USC have a masters program for futurism?

That said, I enjoyed the crazy babbling about how the apocalypse has started. But, what are the solutions? Should we all just pack up, move to Mars and start over? Bruce presented many problems with out resolutions. I guess futurists aren't problem solvers so lets move on.
RFID... I don't think anyone would willingly want an RFID tracking device attached to them. Unless of course, you got free gas after being tagged. Cause people will give up all liberties for free or cheap gas. Also I think Liz McIntyre is crazy and trying to peddle her books by stirring up the masses.

Hearing Bruce Sterling opinions on how RFIDs would invade our personal life was interesting, but nothing new.

I was hoping that Bruce would explore the more constructive aspects of RFIDs. I was hoping that he might explain how RFIDs in the scientific field could help us discover more about ourselves, our society, and our world. Allowing data and metadata to be place on everything that everybody interacts with, can allow us to see how we use and consume things as a whole. We could curb our consumption habits on varying levels. Making ourselves as people and industries more efficient and possibly profitable. Of course, I'm sure is all of this would be fine and good if all the this data were open to eveyone on the web.

Over exaggeration anyone?
To some extent I'm sure Bruce Sterling has a point but he seems to be a sensationalist who looks to give the correct soundbites for the media (which is a great gift to have).
I do agree with Ken that I would like to see how RFIDs could be used in positive ways.
I was also intrigued by Bruce's ideas of recycling and new forms of organization of our consumption structure.

The best for me was the image mapping the near future media.

Hah. I love the idea that one must be dead to be a credible futurist. It's true. I also believe it's luck. Everyone has theories of the future, it's akin to winning the lottery; somebody actually gets it.