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not_a_moth | 5 years ago

Being watched and served recommendations is not the revolutionary paradigm for computers imo.

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bjo590|5 years ago

It would be revolutionary if "recommendations" wasn't a modern synonym for "advertisements"

teekert|5 years ago

This exactly. The recommendations are, at best, a win win for you and some 3rd party that paid to be part of the win (but sometimes tries very hard to not make it seem so). It can be different, but only for the tech-savy (open source) and rich people (pay the tech-savy).

ozim|5 years ago

I care to disagree, millions of people working from home and huge digital economy is there.

There is already a lot of real value in ubiquitous computing, automated warehouses, supply chain optimizations, digital entertainment, digital government services in many countries, I could go on for couple of pages now.

Recommendations and tracking are just a side effect. FB and Google ads are not whole "digital economy" on their own.

jhowell|5 years ago

> There is already a lot of real value in ubiquitous computing, automated warehouses, supply chain optimizations, digital entertainment, digital government services in many countries, I could go on for couple of pages now.

Is technology about, or only about optimizing value in supply chains?

paganel|5 years ago

It's more like a Gattaca-like dystopia.

Forge36|5 years ago

Why not?

cgriswald|5 years ago

What is the purpose of a human life? If my phone is recommending a course of action that is “best practice” for my life, surely the answer to this philosophical and political question has been answered rather than just assumed by engineers based on the perception of current societal norms of a subset of the global population.

Imagine the power you’d have if you had people literally following orders based on a system of life that you’ve designed. And follow it they might if the perception of outcomes is positive.