For the most part, civilized society has become enslaved by the computer. What I will, euphemistically state as, "most jobs" in our civilized societies revolve around support or skillful use of computers. Computers, on the surface, tend to make life simpler. unfortunately, what many people do not consider is the cost of that simplification. Computers have almost become a cradle to grave business.
In the US, one cannot be born and exist any longer without a social security number that is tracked by computers. It is illegal to not have the social security number.
For birthdays, Christmas, Hannukah, and other gift holidays, children are given play stations, x-boxes, and all the supporting software. Most schools now require students to have computer courses, or to at least use computers in their education process.
How often do you use a computer in your daily life? Do you have to have one at work? Is it supported by staff? Does the company you work for track your email? Your use of computer time for productivity vs porn exploration, or perhaps, online gambling?
Do you, as a computer support individual, if you are one, go into work with the intent of staying until the job is done, sometimes staying at work for 10 to 12 hours at a time? Working on weekends, all weekend? How does this impact your family life? Your external social life? Do you Geek out and go to a bar with fellow "computerians" and discuss the latest science, fixes, problems over a pint or a mixed drink, and perhaps hot wings?
Do you, while at work, and/or at home, spend a lot of time in front of the keyboard cruisng your favorite sites, responding to emails, and perhaps, IM chatting with folks you may not be able to pick out, physically, in a crowd of two? e.g. I have a great friend that I have had for about 6 years. We have met, face to face, one time only. The rest of it has evolved through the use of IM.
Does society not cater to the computer science lifestyle with cafés that are specifically for computer hook up and supported by people providing coffee based drinks, and donuts? Do you not, perhaps, have your home hooked up to a computer so that lights, air conditioning, and other power using processes are being governed by a computer? Lots do.
Is not your automobile computer operated? My 1999 Corvette, my second great love after my wife, is strictly drive by wire. I have little to no direct physical input into stopping or going or how fast I do either. My home air conditioner died a couple of weeks ago. It was all stopped, in hundred degree heat, by a $200 computer chip that burned out.
With those kinds of advances, and I didn't delve to greatly into them all, what would you expect from a society that is, generally, bound to a point of view that is conformist in nature?
Across our great country the diversity of regions is quickly losing it's identity. Wal-Mart is Wal-Mart is Wal-Mart in New York, Florida, Missouri, Utah, and California.
Denny's restaurants are, virtually, the same throughout. Just two examples of the rules of societal conformity. Gone, for the most part, are the quaint restaurants, the "mom and pop" grocery stores, the local hardware stores. These entities are becoming a memory and a taste of a simpler time.
Computers have even been known to dictate the outcome of recent Presidential Elections. People on the west coast have used the election results of the east coast to dictate how they vote, or do not even bother to, to a large degree.
So, we are quickly becoming a society of conformity. With that in mind, it is no surprise that large companies must facilitate the methods they use for security, for identity of employees, and bad guys alike. They have to be able to adapt and evolve quickly in a society that is quickly becoming a techno-world. Otherwise they will not survive.
From companies, it is a very short step to military and political application. After all, these entities are always looking for the next big bang for the buck, and the way to make it all go smoother. And rightfully so, if I may say. All the aforementioned entities from Big Government to big business down to little old me, and you are in the business of making life easier. In pursuit of that, we seem to spend more time working to enjoy that ease.
Hunter gatherer societies work mainly from sun up to sun down while farming societies do pretty much the same. They socialize and go to bed in between the hours of dark. As we techno"ize", we spend more time supporting it all, and less time enjoying it.
We, as an burgeoning techno-globalized society, NEED the benefits that conformity to culture and security bring. This is the end result of what we are becoming, and there is probably very little way out of it now. At least not without every woman, man, and child dumping their own computer into a large dump site, and starting over.
Is it possible that freedom and rights must be ammenable to change based on the needs of the society that is encroaching on them? Is it possible that, in order for us to survive as a race, based on our technology, that we need the increased security, and trackability of the individuall, and thus the loss of the individual?
I often ponder these questions. It is a delicate balance between society and human rights and privilieges that we try to walk within, question, and manipulate. Methinks it is a much deeper subject than many people give credence to.
Still, in a larger sense, as a precomputer generation individual, I have to agree with you to a larger extent. I resent some of the things that I consider silliness being done in the name of our conformist society.
And with that, I will step down, and shut up.
