Technology: Difference between revisions

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An [[innovation]] or recently-contrived contraption about which [[thought-leader]]s make grandiose claims, but which does not yet work. ''Bad'' technology.
An [[innovation]] or recently-contrived contraption about which [[thought-leader]]s make grandiose claims, but which does not yet work. ''Bad'' technology.


It is a paradoxical feature of modern life that ''there is no such thing as “good” technology''. Technology that is ''good'' is not technology. It is ''[[furniture]]''. Only technology that breaks down, does not come up to brief, yields disappointing results, or harbours a coven of [[Rent-extraction|rent-extracting]] parasites —yes, [[software as a service]], we ''are'' looking at you — that is to say, ''bad'' technology, is ever actually called “technology”. Hence a paradox:  
It is a paradoxical feature of modern life that ''there is no such thing as “good” technology''. Technology that is ''good'' is not “technology”. It is ''[[furniture]]''.  
 
Only technology that breaks down, does not come up to brief, disappoints, creates more work than it solves or harbours a coven of [[Rent-extraction|rent-extracting]] parasites (yes, [[software as a service]], we ''are'' looking at you) — that is to say, ''bad'' technology is ever actually called “technology”.  
 
Hence a paradox:  


''Technology == Bad Technology''
''Technology == Bad Technology''

Latest revision as of 12:27, 8 December 2022

The JC pontificates about technology
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Technology
/tɛkˈnɒləʤi/ (n.)

An innovation or recently-contrived contraption about which thought-leaders make grandiose claims, but which does not yet work. Bad technology.

It is a paradoxical feature of modern life that there is no such thing as “good” technology. Technology that is good is not “technology”. It is furniture.

Only technology that breaks down, does not come up to brief, disappoints, creates more work than it solves or harbours a coven of rent-extracting parasites (yes, software as a service, we are looking at you) — that is to say, bad technology — is ever actually called “technology”.

Hence a paradox:

Technology == Bad Technology

See also