Monday, August 08, 2005

Mr. Ludd

I'm no Luddite, though I get accused of it by technofascists so blinded by their addiction to the very newness of something that they cannot see its flaws.

I don't hate all technology. I hate half-baked technology and I hate predatory technology.

Half-baked technology is rushed to market unready to become a reliable, useful tool. Companies rush to try to establish market share, confident that early adopters, the aforementioned techno addicts, will do their research and develoment for them. Unfortunately, with modern marketing and mass production, too many innocent bystanders can get sucked in with the techno-chumps, thinking a real innovation has taken place.

Predatory technology is any item willfully changed by its manufacturer to render older versions unusable, even if those older versions were solid and sufficient to meet the need of the consumer.

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