Google Glass Sparks Rise of Neo-Luddism

Google Glass Sparks Rise of Neo-Luddism(internetevolution.com)

11 points by tdonaghe 13 years ago | 13 comments

a_p 13 years ago |

I think "Neo-Luddism" is a very poor description of people who are against Google Glass. The original Luddites were against modern machinery because it destroyed their ability to make a living with the skills that they had. The opponents of Google Glass think that this technology is an invasion of their privacy, which has nothing to do with their ability to earn a living a feed themselves.

tdonaghe 13 years ago | |

I suppose I'm using a more broad definition of the word than you are. Also, notice that I'm not using the term Luddite. The wikipedia article on Neo-Luddism seems to agree with my definition as well.

Though I do see mature AR tech as something which certainly will put people out of some jobs if they refuse to embrace it.

doctorstupid 13 years ago |

You'll never be at a loss for anyone's name. Similarly, you'll never forget where someone works or what you spoke about the last time you talked. You'll be able to recall instantly every bit of information from every...

Tell me, if I'm dependent on this thing for my memory, then who am I? If I require the cloud to tell me someone's name, then do I really know them? Do I even...

Giving examples of how an individual will be assisted in current-day problems, such as remembering contacts (the pain!), is ignoring the forces pushing the individual as we currently know it to cease to exist.

tdonaghe 13 years ago | |

Those are great questions, actually. We're all already very dependent on technology right now, so I don't see a problem with going even further. I'm a weirdo transhumanist though. :)

dromidas 13 years ago |

Do the neo-luddites not realize that we are on cameras all of the time anyway? Except most likely when you are in your home. Although there is a chance you are on camera there as well without your knowledge.

You cannot go out in public without being recorded on video and haven't for years and years already. It's great that google glass is helping awareness of this issue, but I think it is not targeting the right things.

r00fus 13 years ago | |

You're serious? Maybe in major city centers, but in the suburbs or rural areas, who's doing the surveilling?

I don't consider an occasional (or even regular) satellite imaging and GMaps vans to be remotely as invasive as a random person walking down the street with their Glass recording me trying to keep my crying babies happy in the stroller.

dromidas 13 years ago | | |

That's true. I guess in backwater places without internet kind of places or whatever. But I would imagine not too many people there would have the money to afford a google glass to begin with though.

I don't live in a big city though but I wake up and leave my apartment and already I'm being recorded through parking lot cameras. I drive passed the apartment office and that camera records me too. I reach the road and cops pass by all the time with their mounted cameras. I stop by <insert any business> and <do anything> and I'm recorded by their in house camera. I work 9ish hours a day and I am constantly on camera by various cameras throughout the office building. I go to class and the various 'campus cams' record me.

I could go on and on and on. Unless I'm in the woods somewhere in alabama or something I don't expect to get through a single day without at least 1/4 of it on camera.

tdonaghe 13 years ago | | |

I might be concerned if the only thing the random Glass wearer recorded was you walking your babies, but if that's a small part of his daily record, so what? Without Glass he would have seen you just the same.

tdonaghe 13 years ago | |

If everyone is wearing cameras all the time with the video being constantly broadcast publicly to the internet, then we get some weird effects along with the loss of privacy. Things get even weirder when we apply interesting algorithms to the video feeds. Where is Bob? Where has Bob been all day? How honest is Bob? Is Bob someone you can do business with?

Society is going to change in ways I can't imagine. We live in interesting times.

electrichead 13 years ago |

This is a really good article and even better title!

tdonaghe 13 years ago | |

Thanks! :)