I used to be much more of a technological determinist, where I believed that the course of history would play out according to what was technologically possible, and that technology shapes our world in a strong way. I've come to appreciate that culture actually plays such a large role in shaping our world. The ways in which people decide to use... See more

In theory, it’s easy to reject technology wholesale, but in practice, that means ceding its power to myopic megacorporations. Extreme techno-pessimism absolves technologists of using their skills for good, and absolves the left of using technology’s speed and scale to empower people. Like science fiction writer Ted Chiang said in an interview with... See more

a series of symptoms by which we might diagnose someone with a Borg complex:

1. Makes grandiose, but unsupported claims for technology


2. Uses the term Luddite a-historically and as a casual slur


3. Pays lip service to, but ultimately dismisses genuine concerns


4. Equates resistance or caution to reactionary nostalgia


5. Starkly and matter-of-factly frames the case

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