Technology Sub Specie Aeternitatis
Created | Updated Feb 9, 2020
Technology Sub Specie Aeternitatis
Welcome to my rant on technology and also explanation of why it happens as a process and leaves the old behind or at least sidelined by it. It used to be that you had written instructions on how to use things, even if indecipherable, then came discs, now it is hide and seek online.
If you look at prehistory and indeed paleontology, what you see is in the last case is unformed energy, that cooled into a solid crust of differentiated chemical forms, which obviously must have been there already in liquid state. This was followed by early, single-celled life forms that then amalgamated to create plants and animals, including bipedal man1.
Industrially we see the same thing. Simple ideas that were amalgamated into larger machines, pumping out other machines in the 'mother' factory. These 'babies' developed into more and more refined forms by land, sea and air. Model Ts became E Types, steam trains were replaced by diesel, monoplanes became jets etc. All things evolve, including civilizations.
All things get born, evolve and die out when they are no longer serviceable, including ourselves as individuals. Computers were gigantic calculating machines for a start but now are minute and can be carried in your pocket. If only the minds of the commercial inventors, of these contraptions had evolved equally so that they knew better how to teach what they learned to build, I would not now be thinking of dumping their products in the nearest sewer.
So endeth the last lesson and the whole point of my rant, which is not against their inventions but their lack of clear instructions, which obviously require a different mindset, that of a teacher, who can simplify the wording/illustrations that goes with their products. Insane? Me or them? Certainly me at the moment – talk about the frustration and growing anger at not being able to make sense of something, which is behind all revolt, including the Luddites (now where did I put my clogs?).
If you are wondering why I am sending this, it is down to trying to get the new printer to work and it doesn’t (hunt the thimble (instructions) is not why I bought the bleeping thing!