[extropy-chat] Time Magazine's Person of the Year

[BillK]

On 12/18/06, Anders Sandberg wrote:
> I'm intrigued by this new kind of "online people power", or perhaps rather
> Web 2.0 power. How can we turn it into better cognitive enhancement? The
> Wikipedia is already a good example. The combination of sites like Flickr
> and new imageprocessing (
> http://www.aleph.se/andart/archives/2006/10/the_future_of_images.html )
> can produce some interesting results, especially connected to a people's
> panopticon. Can we construct a useful open society protection system this
> way?
>

The new wired generation has been commented on a few times before on the list.

They have grown up with mobile phones, text messages (100 per day is
not unusual) and now IMing as well. (Note: teens don't use email among
themselves, only for communicating with adults). Adults have not
joined in as wholeheartedly as the younger generation and it can be
unsettling when they encounter it.

I have seen parents arguing in frustration with their teenage children.
"Well, do you want to go to x, or not?"
Reply - "Well, I dunno. Maybe".

If you ask one of these wired teens a question it is very likely that
they literally won't be able to answer until they have discussed it
with a few friends. Trying to arrange something can take them far
longer than for adults. Each person invited won't say yes or no until
they have IMed a few friends about it. And each link in the chain has
to do the same in turn.

And even if they say 'Yes' that doesn't mean that they see it as a
not-to-be-broken promise. If the IMing flow of their peer group means
that they feel they need to be somewhere else at that time (where it's
'happening') then they will happily cancel previously agreed to
arrangements without a qualm.

It's a weird feeling when you first encounter it.  :)


BillK