Comments on: Web 2.0: Rise of the Machines http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/02/05/web-2-0-rise-of-the-machines/ just a lowly edtech geek, mumble mumble university of calgary Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:41:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sami Khan http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/02/05/web-2-0-rise-of-the-machines/#comment-83099 Sami Khan Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 1944591594#comment-83099 I was discussing this idea with my dad the other day and this seems a good prompt to fit it in online. I was thinking that robots and AI are perfect for taking care of the elderly as the Japanese are figuring out. But then I thought about it a bit more and then I came up with the idea of hooking up the elderly to the matrix, and them being better off for it. That thought developed into a plot for a movie called "Geezer", that essentially features our star, an elderly man who's been put in this virtual world called, you guessed it, GZR. The plot of the movie is basically the same as the Matrix, him trying to get out. Only to find that there is no meaning for him in the real world and then in the end just plugging himself back into GZR to be with his "real" family who loves him very much and takes very good care of him. Aside from corny movie plots, I think we're very, very close to economic irrelevance whether the machine appears on this planet or not, either that or the economic meaning of our work will become something excessively irrelevant like producing things simply to keep people occupied, hey we already have that it's called entertainment. But I think over time entertainment will dominate and all other sectors of the economy will become so automated and efficient that our participation in it will be irrelevant. I was discussing this idea with my dad the other day and this seems a good prompt to fit it in online. I was thinking that robots and AI are perfect for taking care of the elderly as the Japanese are figuring out. But then I thought about it a bit more and then I came up with the idea of hooking up the elderly to the matrix, and them being better off for it. That thought developed into a plot for a movie called “Geezer”, that essentially features our star, an elderly man who’s been put in this virtual world called, you guessed it, GZR. The plot of the movie is basically the same as the Matrix, him trying to get out. Only to find that there is no meaning for him in the real world and then in the end just plugging himself back into GZR to be with his “real” family who loves him very much and takes very good care of him.

Aside from corny movie plots, I think we’re very, very close to economic irrelevance whether the machine appears on this planet or not, either that or the economic meaning of our work will become something excessively irrelevant like producing things simply to keep people occupied, hey we already have that it’s called entertainment. But I think over time entertainment will dominate and all other sectors of the economy will become so automated and efficient that our participation in it will be irrelevant.

]]> By: dnorman http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/02/05/web-2-0-rise-of-the-machines/#comment-83100 dnorman Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 1944591594#comment-83100 Sami, the Machine is here. The masses are all plugged into American Idol and Survivor, absorbing and mindlessly obeying the economic imperative to CONSUME. BUY. MORE. The machine is already here... Sami, the Machine is here. The masses are all plugged into American Idol and Survivor, absorbing and mindlessly obeying the economic imperative to CONSUME. BUY. MORE. The machine is already here…

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