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Acceptance Speech with Some Regrets

Started by Gary_C, December 17, 2006, 10:48:41 PM

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Gary_C


I have just discovered that I have been named Time Magazine's PERSON OF THE YEAR for 2006. This is a great honor that yes, I do share with some other people, but it is still a wonderful honor. For those that have not heard, the award is for people that use the internet and is depicted by a mirror on a computer screen.

However, I do have some reservations about this use of the internet and computers in general. To explain my reservations, have you ever heard the response "the computer will not let me do that?" We think we are running all these computers, but are we really in control or have we become the robots and the computers are actually running things?

A commercial on TV now about a navigation system in a car actually shows a lady being guided around an office by a navigation system voice. Pretty soon there will be no maps and people will not be able to find their way around without guidance from their computer. Perhaps the next generation will not be able to find the bathroom without a guidance system. They actually now have all the appliances in a house connected to the internet via your home computer so you can see if you started that load of clothes in the washer as you drive to work.

Also, I just heard that in many businesses, the people do not communicate directly anymore, they just e-mail each other, even when they sit at adjacent desks. The face to face communication skills will soon be gone. How many of you are now sitting alone in a room and reading and writing to a computer screen?

No, I am not paranoid or anti-technology, far from it. I started this as a somewhat funny topic, but now it does not sound so humorous, it sounds too serious. It makes you wonder about how humans will evolve, that is if we survive long enough.

As you may know, I have been working away from home with no internet connection other than during my brief days at home. However I do have a laptop with me, but I have very limited cell phone service and no internet service, or so I thought. Today I turned the computer on and took it with me as I drove to work. As I drove thru the very small town, a message appeared on the screen there was a connection available. So I just clicked on the unsecured connection and easily found the forestry forum. So now I can visit the forum from along side the road via a borrowed or stolen connection, however you see it. This technology is sure fun, even if it can be somewhat troubling.

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

ARKANSAWYER


  There is a car that can park it's self now and will apply the breaks  if you get to close to the car in front of you.
  "In the year 2525, if man is still alive" we will be so dumb and just a bunch of slobs being waited on by machines.   Even today there are few kids that can climb a real tree.
ARKANSAWYER

Furby

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
I, Robot.

leweee

Remember every time Man tries to make something idiot proof,he just creates a better IDIOT. :D



PS Congrats on the award Gary_C. 8)
just another beaver with a chainsaw &  it's never so bad that it couldn't get worse.

beenthere

Quote from: Gary_C on December 17, 2006, 10:48:41 PM
..................As you may know, I have been working away from home with no internet connection other than during my brief days at home. However I do have a laptop with me, but I have very limited cell phone service and no internet service, or so I thought. Today I turned the computer on and took it with me as I drove to work. As I drove thru the very small town, a message appeared on the screen there was a connection available. So I just clicked on the unsecured connection and easily found the forestry forum. So now I can visit the forum from along side the road via a borrowed or stolen connection, however you see it. This technology is sure fun, even if it can be somewhat troubling.

Gary_C
That borrowed connection is what Burlkraft and I were suggesting you try back in October when we came up for a visit.  :)  Glad it worked for you.
Congrats on the "naming" which sounds like an award from Time Mag. for "using the computer". Oh by the way, I'm talking to this computer now, in an empty room.  :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Sprucegum

When I look around I appear to be alone but at the same time I a in-your-facing with a couple thousand  FF Friends. Through You I have acquired knowledge and considered opinions that I would never find in my local library. I still have friends who are not computer-users and they look sceptical when I share something I learned on the web so I just tell them

"My Forestry Friend told me......"   ;D

Yep , like it or not you are my friend  now

leweee

just another beaver with a chainsaw &  it's never so bad that it couldn't get worse.

RichlandSawyer

When i was younger i thought techno stuff was so "cool" that i made a carrier of designing and programming industrial machinery and packaging equipment. I would take night classes to learn all the latest programming bells and whistles. The companies i worked for would send me all over the country to take classes and see new products. Then one day i realized that the new equipment and programs didnt work any better then the ones i bought last year they just look different. Frustration set in and i have slowly drifted away from techno stuff. So i'm holding out hope for future generations that they to will become bored with all the latest gadgets and gizmos and venture outside to see the world. Grandpa always said "the simplest things always work the best" its only taken me 38 years to figure that out. I have several friends who are techno-geek programmers for insurance companies and they seem to have gone the same way i have, they leave the techno stuff at work and at home enjoy the simple life.

So take the kids and grandkids fishing, hunting or just for hike and we can all do our part to save future generations from carpaltunnel and bi-focals.

RichlandSawyer
Every log i open up, a board falls out!!!

PineNut

I used to like techno items also. Built my first computer in the 1970's when you had to solder the parts to a PC board. For a while, the improvements were necessary so you could get some use out of it. But after it was useful, the computer industry had to find something to do so here came the bells and whistles. Some of the new technology was good but much of was to have something to sell.

Unfortunately you have to get some of these technically advanced (bleeding edge bells and whistles) items because you have no choice. Most of the problems I have with new equipment are unnecessary bells and whistles that quit working and shut everything down. Look at all of the computer modules on autos and appliances. Don't forget that big brother mandates some of this garbage.


Chris Burchfield

I took typing in highschool because there was this beautiful, small brown haired, ninth grade girl was in the class. Took about three month to run the other boy off and get her to go out with me. Had to wait a year for her to graduate from high school before we could get married. This Saturday we'll have been married 29 years and she still keeps me hanging around. Never dreamed that typing would have led to anything. Computers were for big business back then. It was several years later when I had one in the office for word processing. Later, got one for home. You talk about "bones," that one was an "XT" with all of 60 megs. I can't tell you how many gigs this one has, and I really don't care. It does let me visit and learn from my friends here on the FF. Grads on the award.
Woodmizer LT40SH W/Command Control; 51HP Cat, Memphis TN.

SPIKER

Congrats on the award: they gonna put you're face on the cover???  (that should scare a few folks :D _  "Just kidden"

I too was once into the techno stuff, big time, (though not back when ya had to solder the MO BO up ;) (Im not quite that old but close enough)   I built several computers and just recently simply bought one (cheaper than getting the parts together !)   it's an HP, with XP and I think that MS just keeps giong backwards...  I liked & enjoyed using win 3.11 (hated 95) constantly used & STILL USING 98 SE, this XP with the media pack just works slow...   I suspose I'll have to stick a copy of luinx in here & give that a try :D  (I doupt mr gates will miss my using his stuff.  that NEWEST IE sure messed up this 8 month old system nearly had to format the dang think, but got it gone back to 6.1 IE and put firefox on here and been running firefox for surfing...   anyhow I'll look for a copy of TIME

Mark M
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

PineNut

Spiker. I finally got up to W2K but did stop there. Also use Linux and Foxfire .... Firefox. I see a few good items in the newer OS but with all the garbage you have to put up with, I will stay with what I have as long as I can. Of course with the new techno stuff, I will eventually be forced to move up because of lack of support for the older programs. For a database, I still use a DOS based one and find it does everything I need, is easier to use and does not require so much overhead. 

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