Rage against the machine: Recent classics of contrarian tech
Not everyone believes in a technologically-enriched future. In fact, some of the leading thinkers in IT are among its most vocal and eloquent contrarians. Since IT can be a bit of a cheerleader about its own value and impact, the search for a healthy and balanced debate requires a full airing of all the perspectives. This presentation will explore the recent work of a number of technology critics to identify commons themes, concerns and alternative futures. The following books, among others, will be considered:
- Neil Postman, Technopoly: the Surrender of Culture to Technology (1992)
- Clifford Stoll, Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway (1995)
- Nicholas Carr, Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of Competitive Advantage (2004)
- Andrew Keen, The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture (2007)
- Lee Siegel, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob (2008)
- Jaron Lanier, You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto (2010)
Format:
Presentation