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Innovation's Role Is Sorely Exaggerated

Posted by kdawson on from the against-the-church-of-technological-hype dept.

Strudelkugel writes "The New Yorker has a book review describing our common misunderstanding of the value of technology and its ultimate uses. The reviewer notes that the way we think about technology tends to ignore older objects of technology. Quoting: '[W]hen we do consider technology in historical terms we customarily see it as a driving force of progress: every so often... an innovation — the steam engine, electricity, computers — brings a new age into being. In "The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900", by David Edgerton, a well-known British historian of modern military and industrial technology, offers a vigorous assault on this narrative. He thinks that traditional ways of understanding technology, technological change, and the role of technology in our lives, have been severely distorted by what he calls "the innovation-centric account" of technology.'" Money quote: "Seen in this light, my kitchen is a technological palimpsest."

6 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Dude, by iknownuttin · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    The socks kept the philosopher's feet warm, but they troubled his head.

    You need to get a girlfriend!

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    I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
  2. Hermoine Dies in Harry Potter 7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Dear my brothers, Voldemort killed Hermione. Yes, that's true. And we knew that 2 days ago. This is the end of the not yet published (someone could call that 0day) book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . At the end of the story Hagrid was killed by Snape in the attempt of ambush Hermione and Ron. Ron and Hermione flees in privet drive but Voldermort, surprising them, engaged a magical duel with Ron and Hermione. Voldemort attacked trough the imperius curse and Hermione, to protect the life of Ron fight hardly for more than 6 pages and then finally die. (boring, very boring... it's always the same story!) Then, to make a long story short, Harry came up, killed all the bad guys and Hogwarts against became a good place to stay and have fun. Ah, i missed one important information about Draco Malfoy, he started to create Horcrux (for fun and profit!).

    1. Re:Hermoine Dies in Harry Potter 7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      This is very innovative. Super.

  3. OT: Grammar nazi needed by JimDaGeek · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I have always wondered what does having the brackets around something indicate? What does brackets around the W in "'[W]hen we do consider technology..." indicate? Thank you my grammar Nazi friends!

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    General, you are listening to a machine! Do the world a favor and don't act like one.
    1. Re:OT: Grammar nazi needed by bheer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      It indicates that he's quoting from mid-sentence. In this case, the original quote was "And when we do consider technology...".

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      Go somewhere random
  4. THIS = TEH BEST THING I READ ALL WEEK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic