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Why the Internet of Things Is More 1876 Than 1995

An anonymous reader writes "Some folks would like you to think that 1995 was the year everybody was brought online and that, starting this year, we'll bring everything else along for the ride. If that seems far fetched to you, Glen Martin writes about how the Internet of Things has more in common with the age of steam than the digital revolution: 'Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition of 1876 was America's first World's Fair, and was ostensibly held to mark the nation's 100th birthday. But it heralded the future as much as it celebrated the past, showcasing the country's strongest suit: technology. ... While the Internet changed everything, says Stogdill, "its changes came in waves, with scientists and alpha geeks affected first, followed by the early adopters who clamored to try it. It wasn’t until the Internet was ubiquitous that every Kansas farm boy went online. That 1876 Kansas farm boy may not have foreseen every innovation the Industrial Revolution would bring, but he knew — whether he liked it or not — that his world was changing."'"

21 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, the good ol days by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    ...when Goatse was real and scared everybody off my lawn. Now that was automation!

  2. Why the dumb name by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can we stop using these ridiculous buzz words/phrases?

    Internet of things? Really?

    1. Re:Why the dumb name by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 2, Informative

      Can we stop using these ridiculous buzz words/phrases?

      The Internet of Things is so 2013... I'm waiting for the Web of Things 2.0 myself.

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    2. Re:Why the dumb name by jarle.aase · · Score: 2

      Can we stop using these ridiculous buzz words/phrases?

      Internet of things? Really?

      How else would you describe items that makes themself profitable by Facebook, Gooogle and the like? Would you call them people?

      When people act like things, and becomes the very products sold by Big Corporations, I think the prase is accurate.

      Oh.. I just realized that this tread is about the internet of crap!

  3. 2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by Gaygirlie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The one, single biggest weakness with the whole IoT-movement is the lack of any sorts of standards. Devices from one manufacturer use this protocol to talk to one another, the devices from another manufacturer use another protocol, neither of them can communicate with one another, and to top it off many devices even within a single manufacturer's own line of products don't know how to communicate amongst themselves. This means a huge, tangled mess of dozens of controlling applications and physical control-panels and whatnot, and it's all ripe with security-issues, too. With no standards or anything there's no logical way of controlling all of your IoT-devices in a unified way, let alone to control their security and updates.

    On a similar note, there was recently talk on Ars Technica about this subject when the CEO of WIFI Alliance tried to make the case that all IoT-devices should simply use WIFI, but that would be folly. His primary argument was that even though WIFI uses more power than e.g. Bluetooth-LE it provides more bandwidth and that the amount of power WIFI uses is irrelevant. That argument obviously ignores the fact that if, on average, every household in the future had e.g. approximately 50 IoT-devices in their homes we would then see the power-drain on the electric-networks increase by 50 * 117M ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... ) * WIFI-power-drain just within the United States alone -- a definitely non-neglibigle amount. Also, your fridge, coffee-maker and the likes have absolutely zero need for all the bandwidth WIFI would bring, so Bluetooth-LE or something similar would be the saner choice -- less power-usage, still more than enough bandwidth for the small amount of data being transferred. However, you'd again need some sort of a bridge for bringing the WIFI-devices and Bluetooth-LE-devices together, and again, you'd need sane standards in order to come up with such bridges.

    I'm ranting a little, I haven't been sleeping too well and my thoughts are racing, but my point here is that even if the tech was there for the big push for IoT-devices we lack standardisation efforts, we lack the need for such devices, and I'm not sure the environmental costs would be worth the advantages either at this point in time.

    1. Re:2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by Gaygirlie · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The one, single biggest weakness with the whole IoT movement is the lack of any sort of use.

      I did mention that, too. I can't think of much use for IoT-devices myself, either, except for the fridge: it'd be handy if it reminded me of groceries that will be going bad in a day or two. I did read a blog-post from someone who bought a bunch of those smart-bulbs and programmed them to follow a specific schedule, like e.g. slowly rising in brightness when it's time to wake up in the morning, turning off automatically during work-hours, automatically setting a specific mood in the workroom and so on, but all that really works only for people who have very strict schedules. It's hard to think of cases where all the hassles of keeping the things working, updated and secure is worth the trouble in our daily lives.

      And I certainly don't want all those things open to remote access hacks.

      That's the thing I worry the most about. With lax security someone could just drive by your house, turn everything on, crank your thermostat to max. and so on, resulting in possibly burned-out machines, higher electrical bills, terrible nuisance when you're trying to sleep and so on. If IoT-devices were ever to become mainstream these kinds of things should first have to be solved in a standard, global manner.

    2. Re:2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by AudioEfex · · Score: 2

      The person you replied to, though - has a great point regarding the general acceptance and "need" of such things. You obviously aren't the "general audience" when you talk about installing vibration sensors on your dryer and installing hardware onto your stove.

      I don't "spend my day leaning against the dryer", for example, as I don't have time for that, either - if I set it for 50 minutes, I go back 50 minutes later. If I don't feel like looking at one of the many clocks in my home, I can set an alarm with two flicks of my finger on my phone or tablet. Or, since I don't have 17 kids I am doing laundry for, I just go back down to the dryer when I am ready - which can be six hours later.

      Regardless, I agree with your point of paying premium prices for these devices - but I think that point extends to the person you replied to - if they cannot convince you, someone who does want these alerts, etc. - there isn't a chance in hell they will ever convince John Q. Public to do so.

      This whole thing smacks of the "3D TV" fad. A bunch of manufacturers got together, trying to figure out what the "next step" was for their product to get the folks who already bought their equipment to re-buy it. The home theater community at large seemed to believe that suddenly 3D on TV was the "next big thing" and that by now (2014) every television would just have it as standard. The opposite has happened - big box retailers like Wal-mart and Target don't even carry them in store anymore (you can order online but they don't stock them), and while in 2011 it seemed like this was some big breakthrough that everyone would want - the public responded with a resounding "no" by not purchasing the products. People still buy 3D TV's, but they failed to go mainstream - which is why the manufacturers are all talking about "4K" now - again, selling to that niche of folks who have to have the newest best shiniest - who are willing to upgrade perfectly good equipment because buying electronics is their hobby.

      All of the "problems" that any of these devices solve are already solved as much as most people care them to be. Want your coffee maker to have your coffee ready when you wake up? Plenty have timers just for that use. Washing machines, stoves, etc. already have timers built in. Sure, it takes a second or two of thought - but very few have a life so complex that such things are overwhelming, if they feel they "need" them to begin with. If you have home security needs, it's quite easy to view video feeds from far away these days. Very few people have all these needs, and in the end it really only appeals to super "gadget" folks with large disposable incomes. That's why home automation will always be a niche product - most people just do not need (or even want) that level of "control".

      Finally, that brings it back to the essential problem the person you replied to posted - the lack of standards. Even if everyone did want this much interaction with the devices in their home, the lack of standards coupled with the lack of practicality to most folks makes this all DOA. It isn't any more going to happen now than it happened in the 50's and 60's (think: Jetsons) where they predicted we'd all be automated by the 80's.

      We seem to fall for this stuff once a generation, at least. For a funny comparison, watch Back to the Future II - a film made in 1989. A large portion of the film takes place in 2015 - which is now less than a year away. Our world really resembles the 1985 depicted in the film much more than the 2015 - the only difference is we have smart phones. It's because we seem to think we are on this great cusp of automation and innovation when, in fact, for everyday tasks - it's just not cost effective to begin with, and it never will be because people simply don't care enough to make it mainstream. For most folks, looking in their fridge is enough to know they need milk - and, even if your fridge did have the feature of letting you know, you'd have to buy certain brands of milk that it

    3. Re:2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by bkmoore · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ....CEO of WIFI Alliance tried to make the case that all IoT-devices should simply use WIFI...Also, your fridge, coffee-maker and the likes have absolutely zero need for all the bandwidth WIFI would bring, so Bluetooth-LE or something similar would be the saner choice....

      Not a troll, but a genuine question. If all these devices are connected to AC power, why not some simple protocol over power line? A lot of home automation used some form of RS-232 over power line to control lighting, etc.

    4. Re:2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by Delusion_ · · Score: 2

      Tangental story:

      I lived in an apartment complex with other residents who were NOTORIOUS for leaving stuff in the dryer overnight. After it happened multiple times, I put their clothes in a bag, did my own laundry, and then when I came to get mine out of the dryer and the bag was still there, I sorted out all the women's undies and carefully and neatly folded them and put them in a pile.

      Problem solved, it didn't occur again until months later when a new resident moved in and started doing the same thing. The same approach worked again.

      I don't have a stranger underwear fetish, but I figured it would creep people out without actually doing them any harm, to the point where they might not let their stuff sit overnight (or even over TWO nights), and apparently it did.

    5. Re:2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by Sentrion · · Score: 2

      But that's where IoT can change the world. Imagine TV dinners that cook themselves and text you to remind you to eat. I'll be able to focus on Slashdotting all night instead of putting my box dinner in the 1980's TV shaped box just to make my food warm. Now if I could just wire my muscles to the IoT to get some scheduled EMS workouts while I'm slashdotting all day I wouldn't be so fat from those boxed dinners. This is what progress is all about. Smartphones, texting, Facebook, iTunes, TeVo, etc. have all liberated us from those horrible times when people had to lug around heavy machinery and walk all over the place just to get things done. Imagine how envious primitive man would be to see how we live today rather than spending all of our time outdoors running around, hunting, fishing, putting up with multiple wives, making our own music, and sleeping under the stars.

    6. Re:2014 won't be the year of Internet of Things by JoeMerchant · · Score: 2

      I did read a blog-post from someone who bought a bunch of those smart-bulbs and programmed them to follow a specific schedule, like e.g. slowly rising in brightness when it's time to wake up in the morning, turning off automatically during work-hours, automatically setting a specific mood in the workroom and so on, but all that really works only for people who have very strict schedules. It's hard to think of cases where all the hassles of keeping the things working, updated and secure is worth the trouble in our daily lives.

      I put bunch of X-10 stuff in my house in 1994, including a system that would fade up lights at programmed times, or on demand, etc. It was all very cool, and worked well for about a year, until the widgets started crapping out - relays went bad, comm links never were terribly reliable, etc. By 1996, I had deactivated all circuits but one - the 220V relay that switched my AC unit off/on by schedule was both reliable, and worth fixing if it ever broke (though it never did) due to the energy savings.

      Meanwhile, I have a lamp that my Grandfather brought back from India in the 1940s - the power cord insulation is rotted and unsafe, but if I can ever get the bulb holder unscrewed, it can all be replaced with new insulated cord using a flathead screwdriver and some insulation strippers. Built to last, and be easily repaired when it finally does die after 60 years - when IoT gadgets reach that level of durability, I won't mind diving in again and setting up some "smart" systems in the house. Right now, I'm not interested in investing the time for something that is going to need replacing in a year or two, regardless of initial monetary cost.

  4. Steam by MrEricSir · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Internet of Things has more in common with the age of steam than the digital revolution"

    Look, I don't know what you kids are using these days, but I still buy all my games on Steam just like they did in 1876.

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
  5. Re:Alpha geek? by AudioEfex · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It reminds me of a quote from Game of Thrones when young King Joffrey is put in his place - to paraphrase, a "real King" doesn't need to keep telling everyone "I am the King!"

  6. Re:What's with the "fuck beta" posts? by wisnoskij · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think slashcott turned into trolldot when everyone realised that they could not stay away for even a single day.

    --
    Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
  7. O'Reilly has nothing useful to say on this. by Animats · · Score: 2

    The article is just blithering without much useful content. They couldn't even get the right illustration. The steam engine shown is just some random engine with Corliss valve gear. This is the engine that powered much of the 1876 exhibition. It was big, impressive, and inefficient, even for that exhibition.

    The "Internet of Things" may be the Next Big Thing from the industry that brought you 3D TV.

  8. They're still pushing this over-rated concept? by msobkow · · Score: 2

    When are they going to accept the fact that there is absolutely no need for 99.999% of the population to ever check the internet for the status of their dryer, their dishwasher, their fridge, their freezer, or their toaster oven and microwave.

    It is the single most over-rated, over-sold, over-hyped, and absolutely useless concept ever brandished by the technocrati. The only ones who care about the concept at all are people who want to sell you stuff that is "internet aware."

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:They're still pushing this over-rated concept? by Sentrion · · Score: 2

      But if I want to impulsively spend $0.99 to download the new pulse based toasting algorithm that leaves the surface extra crispy while leaving the bread beneath soft and chewy, that is my right and darn you for standing in the way of progress. Plus, I need IoT to give me ideas for stuff to post on Twitter and Facebook. "I downloaded my new toasting algorithm" is going to be way cooler than "I'm eating another veggie delight - guess where I am!".

  9. What everyone misses... by gmhowell · · Score: 2

    What everyone misses is the magic of Kansas City. Everything's up to date in Kansas City. They gone about as fer as they can go. They went an' built a skyscraper seven stories high. About as high as a buildin' orta grow.

    --
    Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  10. Re:Typo by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Internet betrayed us all. The shiny object of our admiration is now a honeypot for our enslavement and a means to monetize the smallest of our private activities.

    Let's destroy it, while there's still a chance.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  11. 19th century information technology by JazzHarper · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My great-grandfather graduated from Milwaukee High School in 1878. He first attended a "normal school" with the intent of becoming a teacher, but found the opportunity to learn stenography and to operate a writing machine. The Scholes & Glidden machine had been developed in Milwaukee in 1874, and the manufacturers set up schools to teach students how to use them. These were very temperamental machines and were tricky to use. (At that time, you could not see the text that had been typed without lifting the platen). His first professional job was as a type-writer for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut. Meanwhile, his long-time pen-pal in Chicago had learned how to use the machines at her father's office. They began exchanging letters in type-written form, which must have been considered, for that time, as high-tech as any Internet romance would have been in 1995. They were married in 1883. My great-grandfather and his brother-in-law went into business together, selling the machines across the Midwest.

  12. Re:Typo by flyneye · · Score: 2

    Dont forget the bit about spying on us all. All we need is for our appliances to begin sending our information, for free, to its manufacturers to, in turn, use against us and sell to others for THEIR profit. Yes, fuck the internet of things. I dont want them to know what food I eat, how often I wash my clothes, how much coffee I drink and any other whimsical crap they think they can make of it.
    I dont buy the part about service information, nobody gives a crap if it doesnt run, the consumer only buys more when it breaks, so I dont buy the crap theyre selling. It a fucking lie. Just like the government would tell. Just what a coy geek would believe too.
    What a load of bunk, when they want my intimate information, its commerce, when I go dig up their information, its espionage, because its private business methods, concerns,intellectual property and I cant sell it to interested parties like they do. Well fuck that! The second I find one of my things spying on me, I will go to fun lengths to invade the company and the private lives of those who made it and do embarrasingly extrovert things with the resultant info.
    Fuck the world , I WIN! I always win, I will always win and the world can like it or eat shit!

    --
    *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!