Are we smart enough to use computers?
so the object is to create the next paradigm of computing . . . the first was using the raw power of the processor to do things faster than humans could–to extend the power of our brains. the next was to use the power of the internet to connect to people from all over the world–to extend the power of our voice and our eyes. so what’s next?
maybe it’s what rheingold also touches on on smart mobs, and also in this interview — that we may not know how to correctly use this technology yet. one major drawback to the dominance of the internet is that many people end up virtually “living” online–getting their social interaction quota almost exclusively online. the next revolution in computing will need to address this concern, to hopefully afford for increased interpersonal communication.
the ISIS project is oriented toward these goals. we’re working to build community in the real world by providing an online database of information. any ubiquitous computing application would need to do the same thing.
no one is moving on this yet–the closest contenders are in the business realm, where the increased efficiency brought by stronger interpersonal connections may be the only motivation strong enough to make an application like this truly accepted. hmm . . . ain’t nothing’ wrong with that, i suppose.
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