Generation of Poor Technology

Is there something wrong with our technology? Is it lagging in one way or another? And whatever it be. Are there nothing but glitches left and right in all of our technology these days? If you will, list me some of our technology that is solid as in free from glitches. By the way, what kind of computer do you use?...Is there any glitches you've come across while online with it? Even the technology that gets us online has glitches, correct? And I thought this was the future where everything tech would be fine-tuned and working perfectly.

It seems whenever we take one step forward with technology we also take a few back. Technology these days, while pretty advance, is still full of glitches and problems. They just feel fragil for some reason. I remember my first laptop which was from early 2000, althought relatively weak, was able to survive anything. Being dropped, being left on half the day, viruses, anything. Then I bought a new laptop last year which was a high tech machine, and it actually overheated and crashed just from being left on too long. That might not be such a good example, but it shows that even thought technology is advancing, it also seems to be getting more problem prone. Guess we just haven't arrived at the technological mastery state of our timeline yet.

I would expect this to get worse and worse. As time goes on, students are doing less math on paper and doing more on computers. That goes for a lot of science too. Problem is that this allows for the students to not think critically, as the formulas are already programed in. So, no critical thinking = no scientific understanding or discovery. If our computers ever quit working, we would be in a lot of trouble technologically speaking, as we have a whole generation in college right now that is dependent upon technology, some of which is flawed. The computer age is also the "dumbing down" age.

Just my 2-cents

Originally posted by Tormentations
I thought this was the future where everything tech would be fine-tuned and working perfectly.

No, this is the present...it will never be the future, because once it is the future, it becomes the present...but I understand what you mean...the whole, its past the year 2000, where is our damned floating citys already.

One way to consider this is simple...the human brain is the most advanced computer we have to date...we wont be even touching its complexity for another 20 or so years...and might be another 50 before we can match its versetility.

the human brain has been evolving for millions/billions of years in various forms...

and yet...even with this incredible biotech done and redone by nature with uncountable models...we still have plenty of bugs and glitches in the system.

Humankind and our technology will be about the same...great advances but there will always be some bugs, glitches, and needs for upgrades. (and whenever anything starts working well, we start adding onto it and make it more functional, but also introduce bugs once again)

reply to post by Aggie Man


I can't agree with you at all. The formulae, if "programmed in", are correct, and so have just saved the scientists/students time, allowing them more time to do actual work. Critical thinking has nothing to do with whether someone uses pencil and paper, or a computer, to discover something.

You think our current computers are fragile? Have you ever seen a computer with vacuum tubes? They had to be left on constantly otherwise the vacuum tubes would break. It's a massive selection bias to think that current technology is somehow inferior or more prone to "glitching" as older technology. True, newer technology is far more complicated, which means we get different issues, but we get far less serious issues these days than we used to. I've got a pretty solid grasp of computer history, and we are living in a golden age of technology compared to back in the day.

Early VHS machines were recommended to be serviced every 6 months. Old Laser Disc players used real chemical lasers, which often leaked. My first notebook was so hideously underpowered it was practically useless.

If we only focus on the glitches, we fail to see the fantastic advances we've made.

Originally posted by davesidious
reply to post by Aggie Man

 

I can't agree with you at all. The formulae, if "programmed in", are correct, and so have just saved the scientists/students time, allowing them more time to do actual work. Critical thinking has nothing to do with whether someone uses pencil and paper, or a computer, to discover something.

I may have over generalized, but if you take the computers away, how many could work out the calculations by hand? My assumption is that fewer students would have that ability than generations past. And when I talked about computer quit working, I meant like from an EMP...by no means do I think our computers are fragile.

The control freaks don't allow those that are good. When I was young I worked with old timers. In those days the old timers didn't feel the threat of losing their jobs and were very much open to pass on their skills. Believe me, everything we touched great experiences were behind it. Since 1990 every one is cautious. Even small things they don't pass on. And I don't blame them. Look at GM. Screwed its Salary retiree from their Pension and benefits. Not only that but also creating lot of hurdles for them that the out side world doesn't even know any thing about it. They can't do it to the Union. About a week ago some one was telling me that GM made 56 trillion profits in china. I don't know how far it is true but being an ATSer I questioned him in many ways especially about trillion figure. The Point I am making is this. How can the employees be loyal to the employer and pass on their knowledge to the young when the employer every turn they make is to screw the employee. With this attitude there is no way we can progress. Tri State power break outs. Things getting worse every day are the signs. I have been watching since 1984 how USA and Corporations are working hand in hand to screw Americans. Take my word for it. It is not going to get better. What Obama did is to stop further deterioration. This is their calculated stage they designed everything for. Technology didn't evolve over night. It is a progression of old know how. You can call it high Tech. I say it because I was involved. For example I know the answer to the Problem of Toyota sudden acceleration. But I am not going to offer it to them free. After all they never looked at my resume for many jobs that I thought I was qualified. This is the resume that people with knowledge told me is very impressive. So again, how can technology progress when some ones idea is stolen and they don't even get credit for it. I use to worry a lot to do things right. Not any more. Doctor Deming said once that it is extra-wort forces that make one bad. By birth they are all good and wants to do a good job.

put it this way, man is not perfect, so what ever he makes will never come out perfect... there will always be errors and glitches in whatever we make...

Originally posted by TheDragonLord
It seems whenever we take one step forward with technology we also take a few back.

I'd like to refute that comment. The main problem is that in the 80s and 90s we did not have as many electronic gadgets as we have today. The more electronics we have, the more likely we are to find a random glitch.

I remember my first laptop which was from early 2000, althought relatively weak, was able to survive anything. Being dropped, being left on half the day, viruses, anything. Then I bought a new laptop last year which was a high tech machine, and it actually overheated and crashed just from being left on too long.

Horrible example. I can always claim (because it did happen) that the screen of my first laptop (2002) died after one year and a half. My current laptop (2007) hasn't had a single problem, not even viruses. Why? Because I learned from my second laptop (2004, yes it was cheaper to buy a new one than replace the screen) that viruses had evolved into creatures that roamed the internet and downloading sprees usually meant trouble.

Talking about viruses, my 2nd computer (1993) was infected about 100 times even when I didn't have internet access. Back then viruses came hidden in diskettes, the only means of transferring data, and Norton Antivirus(the best one back then) took hours to scan and fix the system.

Uhg, and talking about old systems, who can forget the hours of frustration spent defragmenting disks, the 5 minutes we had to spend booting Windows 3.0 every day, and the horrible sounds coming out of phone lines while using dial up.

But this is not only about computers, is it? I'm sure anyone old enough remembers those walking washing machines, those toasters that never gave the bread back, and the exploding Ford Pintos. If only technology improved - oh wait, it did.

My point is younger generations do not see any improvements because they didn't experience past technologies. And the majority of people won't see it either because we are still in the middle of the tech boom, which means a lot of new technologies coming out, and we can't expect all to be flawless on their first run.

[edit on 6-2-2010 by daniel_g]

Why all the glitches and problems, greed, money and no k.i.s.s. Look at the cars from the 50's, you could do your own car repairs and could reach every part. Now, its as though one engineer has a large room (20x20foot) and puts the system together and its spread out over 70% of the floor. Then other engineers are told to compact all of it into a small box. Your not meant to see or know theres sparkplugs, alternator or belts. Its hard to replace them because you need to take other things off to get the buried part off. The thing that gets me is when they put the rubber coolant tube across where the belt is, so that when/if a belt breaks, it severs the coolant tube is. Yeah, you get more bang for your buck, but at the cost of just about needing a new engine for one sensor thats hard to get to.

Its because any imagination we have is used to think up new ways of making money and because people do not vote with the only power they have left which is money (not voice).

Maybe its too many co-dependencies as well, programs/software should act like standalone programs that will always work with the OS no matter what service pack or update you have. Right now, to take a virus out of our computers, its like finding waldo when he moved over to the dictionary or like picking fly shist out of pepper after its been in the paint shaker. It should all be compartmentalized, remember game cartridges, the only thing it really needed was a gentle touch, some where to fit in and a loving blow and thats it.....lol now technology is like women.