The comments regarding television ratings [squarooticus] are valid and relevant as they are certainly a metric of commercial interest; and that this form may have run its course [ackthpt] is, in my opinion, highly likely. Whether one's favorite format is reading or watching (I have my preference), ultimately the largest interest group will indeed command the attention of advertising.
The comparitive value of literature to cinema can be argued on its own merits. But, what of the comparitive meaning(s) of "the future"? Perhaps so much fervor for a mere television show comes from a desperate public experiencing, first hand, the death of the future!
Wasn't the contemporary notion of the future borne of 19th century industry and invention, fueled by the promise of limitless energy, given a great consumer boost with the end of the second Last War? Has it not survived said wars, cinicism, post-modernism, and religious superstition? Perhaps all of these reinforced the notion. Science fiction inspired me as a young person to persue the sciences and convinced me of the value of the contemporary technology while providing a quick escape from the mundane. After the likes of Andromeda Strain, Alien, X Files, Star Trek, Star Wars, Ring World, The Jetsons, Lost in Space, Godzilla, 2001, 2010, 3001, AI, I Robot and anon, I have to wonder what else "the future"--whatever its format--could possibly give us that it has not already? Or rather, what else can we extract from the future that we have not extracted already?
With all due respect to Trekkies (and Futurama fans) everywhere, The Future cannot be put off any longer: the future is now and its just as boring as we were afraid it would be.
And I suppose that may be the salient question: why?
Amd why not when Linux burst (well, slid) onto the scene? And why not while Red Hat was growing wings? And why not (enter condition here RE: IBM acquisitions, Suse moves, twelve dozen colors of Livelinuxes cum Knoppix, etc.)
And if it was so great and useful and *patentable*, then why are they so interested in incorporating into a product bundle now--I would assume that is the intent.
Slashdot Mirror
The comments regarding television ratings [squarooticus] are valid and relevant as they are certainly a metric of commercial interest; and that this form may have run its course [ackthpt] is, in my opinion, highly likely. Whether one's favorite format is reading or watching (I have my preference), ultimately the largest interest group will indeed command the attention of advertising.
The comparitive value of literature to cinema can be argued on its own merits. But, what of the comparitive meaning(s) of "the future"? Perhaps so much fervor for a mere television show comes from a desperate public experiencing, first hand, the death of the future!
Wasn't the contemporary notion of the future borne of 19th century industry and invention, fueled by the promise of limitless energy, given a great consumer boost with the end of the second Last War? Has it not survived said wars, cinicism, post-modernism, and religious superstition? Perhaps all of these reinforced the notion. Science fiction inspired me as a young person to persue the sciences and convinced me of the value of the contemporary technology while providing a quick escape from the mundane. After the likes of Andromeda Strain, Alien, X Files, Star Trek, Star Wars, Ring World, The Jetsons, Lost in Space, Godzilla, 2001, 2010, 3001, AI, I Robot and anon, I have to wonder what else "the future"--whatever its format--could possibly give us that it has not already? Or rather, what else can we extract from the future that we have not extracted already?
With all due respect to Trekkies (and Futurama fans) everywhere, The Future cannot be put off any longer: the future is now and its just as boring as we were afraid it would be.
They're in everybody's eggs. And there's a web site to prove it!
And I suppose that may be the salient question: why? Amd why not when Linux burst (well, slid) onto the scene? And why not while Red Hat was growing wings? And why not (enter condition here RE: IBM acquisitions, Suse moves, twelve dozen colors of Livelinuxes cum Knoppix, etc.) And if it was so great and useful and *patentable*, then why are they so interested in incorporating into a product bundle now--I would assume that is the intent.