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Consumed with IT

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by house

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Hardware devices, that provide a more narrow functionality, are quickly being replaced by home computer solutions. Telephony service is rapidly being transformed into the highly configurable VoIP technology. I bought a DVD player last year, and now I am reading about the new blue-ray technology. People are ripping off satellite television service at an alarming rate. Say goodbye to the media monopolies that have been taxing us over the past century, and say hello to the more controllable, yet still unreliable, alternative options that have been introduced through the advent of the "information super-highway". There is no love lost regarding these media giants, but my main concern, is that there are many people who will not be able to keep up with the coming trends. These poor uninformed folks aside, we all stand to make a killing off of their lament and ignorance. Is it ethical? If so, what does it mean for the future of IT? If not... well who cares... it is happening, and it is happening now.

VoIP has been taking the industry by storm for a few years, but it is now cropping up in "home" solutions for the common user. Aside from the home telephone systems, there has been much talk and action regarding the integration of VoIP into common chat clients. I fear it won't be long until we see more people abandonning their more traditional forms of communication, for that of an internet and IP solution. What standards can be developed regarding privacy, legal rights, and quality of service, when the technology that is in question moves so much faster than any courtroom or political organization could possibly imagine? Right now, I could change my phone number with the click of the mouse. I can add forwarding services, answering services... I can actually disconnect my main feed into my home, and provide VoIP service through all of my phone jacks in my house. Are we going in the right direction here? Is the internet itself ready to handle the forecasted influx of communications media?

What does your home theater consist of? Despite the subpar sales results of the Windows Media Center, it is a known fact that many people are now using PC solutions for their home entertainment. Many of us have actually owned a DVD-Rom before we've invested in a DVD player. Some of us link our video and sound directly to our stereo. I've even seen wireless AVI links from a PC to a home theater. What does this mean to home entertainment? What does it mean for those of us who have an investment in Information Technology as a career? I know for a fact, that not everyone is interested in tackling the myriad of issues that we face in configuring and maintaining our equipment. There are so many codecs available to us in regards to audio and AV, and so many different pieces of software to manage, convert, and mount these formats. I have always been a subscriber to the fact that hardware solutions are generally better than software solutions. We are heading in the direction of the software solution in all forms of media. Quality and control are being replaced by quantity and personalization, and I'm sure that I am not the only one who choses the latter, in full hypocrisy of my 'hardware' statement.

As the years roll by, and as technology grows thicker, the specialization of our class grows weaker. When I don't understand "the way things work", I will invest my time and effort in deciphering the technology, so that I can acheive a higher level of knowledge, and provide support to my clients. I am now entering a new dimension, where I am faced with an overwhelming crossroad. An ultimate understanding of information systems and communication media will soon be unattainable by even the most dedicated of geeks within our industry. Ten years from now, my calendar will be built into my refrigerator. I will retreive my grocery list via palm PC. I will walk into the room, and my thermostat will adjust the temperature according to my own body heat. I will shake my buddy's hand, in order to pass on a personal message, or to simply swap files. I will send my girlfriend a message when she is sitting four feet away from me. Despite the complexities, it sounds like a barren wasteland to me. I will definitely need to invest in an amphetamine chip for my nervous system, or perhaps a brain buffer so that I may retain this knowledge after a good night's sleep.

I've gone a little off topic here, but I was not interested in composing a proper essay anyways. Is this too much? Are you consumed with IT?

180 replies

by fluxit

There is a book written several years ago about the information technology revolution. It points to a movement into human centric computing and consolidation of technologies.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=fq6ppEo9Ua&isbn=0694525030&itm=10

If you go review the DARPA projects (where the interent began) and the direction of movement there I think you'll see where we are headed.

Many technologies will consolidate, the link into every home will be fiber most likely and on it will be electrical power, phone, cable, and internet services. The smart home will most likely progress in this next 40 to 80 years. You'll observe consolidation of kitchen appliances and newer appliances come to existence. Your home will have a personality and other devices will be consolidated.

The reason for the recent downturning economy is a cycling of the economy for about a 40 yr growth cycle. Invest in companies that show movement in the directions I talk to above.

by dafe2

At the risk of a hate fest this book as well:

Bill Gates - 'The Road Ahead' speaks to a lot of these things. (Yes, including his house)

by fluxit

I have several books on these topics. The Unfinished Revolution was about 2001 and centered on human centric computing. The Road Ahead was out about 1996. The term 'The Road (Way) Ahead' is a term used in government and I suspect that Bill is not as genius as some think. I suspect that Bill was talking to technocrats who were already designing our new ways. 'Business @ The Speed of Thought' also by Bill came amidst several of books on the same topic.

Microsoft has never invented anything to date. They take existing concepts and exploit them for profit. ie the windows concept was developed at MIT in the 1960's and called x-windows.

by hal 9000

I have a friend who has just got an apprenticeship to install computer connections and outlets in new homes. By this I do not mean the traditional Network sockets but computer controlled light switches, air conditioning and the like. Right now it is hideously expensive but as I'm told as the technology is used more it will become far more affordable.

The one item that I did like was the Toilet Pan with a sensor in it which sends data to your doctor when ever you go it screens for specific programmable things and then sends a report of its findings straight to your chosen doctor. Now there are some interesting things that could come about if you wanted to screw with the system.

However house is quite correct there are major privacy issues that will not be addressed in the short term and by the time that the Powers in Charge get around to addressing one set of issues they will be old hat and several generations old in technology terms. This is defiantly one area where technology is fast outstripping the Legislative process.

But as that Ancient Chinese Curse Goes "May you Live in Interesting Times!" We all are right now.

Col

by aactech

You know its funny but technology, IT, whatever is something I do , it is my career but the only part that really does anything for me is wehen it REALLY helps people. I'm afraid wired refrigerators, etc. just make me laugh and think that the world has lost its humanity. Many of these things mentioned are just trinkets, toys, babbles for small children.
When I first "discovered" computers back in the early 80's I was totally entranced by it all. Twenty years on I want to know "What use does it really have?" Useful -use it. Useless put it in the toy bin.

Mike

by fluxit

you are the one in business making the money on it. The you appear to be having is that you are unable to visualize new products that are not yet available. You may be thinking in terms of a refrigerator as it is today. When everything has a radio frequency bar code on it and refrigerators are integrated with other appliances you may find that the new services and conveniences are helpful. Lets say you are handicapped or elderly and these devices are able to assist you with groceries and cooking. Or lets look it from the standpoint that you are alone and unable to cook.

by dafe2

(This kind of) 'IT' is boring the hell out of me.

There's just too much of it out there, none of it is truly quality. Have you tried to buy a cel phone lately? Who the F.uck wants a camera and internet on a Cel phone anyway? Unless your some 'upskirt perv' who can put up with surfing on a 2" screen.

In the home I find most people today wouldn't know a (true) home theater from a transistor radio anyway. As you say, most of us have been doing 'convergence' for years. I've had a wireless 'home jukebox' forever it seems. Consumer product is so cheap and available it's gross. You can now buy 'digital cameras right next to the chocolate bars at the grocerie store.
It's kind of one size fits all deal right now huh? Great for the 'consumer', bores the hell out of the rest of us.

Today, the only home for 'REAL' IT is in business.

by house

"There's just too much of it out there, none of it is truly quality."

That is one of my main concerns. Perhaps, IT as you say, is separating from the home user support aspect of the game. IBM might have been a lot more more intuitive in their business plan, than most would have us think. I am still worried about the support infrastructure after the move, but perhaps it is better for all of us to run while we still can. Get out of home solutions right now, if you know what is good for you. It may become be more lucrative in the years to come, but the stress involved when tossing around half-@ssed products developed according to immediate need, just might outweigh the good.

"Today, the only home for 'REAL' IT is in business." I need to get away from home services. I'm becoming jaded and "type-cast" already.

by dafe2

What I found a few years back, and it probably affects my attitude today, is that when we'd go 'out' with friens or whatever, the topic would turn to PC's within five minutes of walking into the restaurant or someones house! That.......after fighting fires all day long.
It got so my wife would bet on how long it would take. :-)

The old 'when I start up my PC............'
Now I just tell them I don't know a thing about 'home PC's'. Take it to your 'dealer'.

Kind of a blessing in disguise I supose. I think Col mentionned the Smart Home, I find that stuff VERY interesting. I've actually just connected some cameras to the alarm system & the alarm system to a server here. (Time on my hands) :-0

Your right though, the home stuff (As we new it) is dead.

You mentioned Voip in the home. Can you recomend any product or sites where I could learn more about it?

by fluxit

I think the smart home is very business oriented. Think out-of-the-box about services and products.

Right now in your kitchen you most likely have a blendor, dicer, slicer, grater, mixer, juicer, toaster unoven, toaster, can opener, etc... Can you imagine a kitchen device, a food processor, that combines many of these into one item? I am not talking about an As-Seen-On-TV Ronco-matic trash. Instead, I am talking about new ways to prepare food.

I can envision a kitchen device being marketed that goes on the internet and has no buttons. Instead, you talk to it and tell it what you want to eat. It pulls from bins and makes your request. These bins are for hot and cold stock, agreggate stock, and liquid stock. Recipes are downloaded from the internet and custom individual taste, flavors, and preferences are uploaded to suppliers. One goes to the grocery storage and buys stock modules that plug into the machine. Suppliers stock local stores based on uploaded preferences. A service may even come into play that ultimately eliminates Grocery stores. When a bin is approaching empty a new one is ordereded and delivered.

So your beef may be processed and minced into a powder then reconstituted by this machine. I don't know specifics but these kinds of things will be happening.

I believe that Corporate America as it is known today, principally desk jobs grown in large cubical farms, are on the downside. Most of these desk or cubicals will become virtual companies outsourced and run from homes in small towns across the US or globe. Corporate America will become more or less virtual companies assembled and composed of dozens if not 100's of small companies communicating over the internet and using the logistical infrastructure to move materials and things.

These home businesses will use the Smart Home tooling to do things that were impossible by small business in the past. For example, a virtual secretary may participate in phone calls and prepare documents, contracts, and other things that in the past required a staff of CPA's, Attorney's, secretaries, and general staff.

These virtual secretaries may collect requirements and task several small businesses in the background to conduct the task at hand. The preparation of a contract may first be tasked to a secretary company out of Kansas, A CPA in New York may underwrite the contract and an Attorney in Hawaii may give his seal of approval. All done over the interent for a monthly service fee paid by a small business in Florida.

I think that the opportunities are amazing that are coming down the pike. But it will take sound and visionary governmental leadership as well as businessmen who understand the potential. This would be a highly charged discussion on the psychology of government and business. Liberal versus Conservative - Social Responsibility vs profit.

As for myself, I would deeply enjoy a opportunity to develop some of our future products or services. I am currently studying robotics and I believe that there is a enormous future in this area.

by house

A sales pitch or solid information. The latter is the weaker of the two. There is more effort in promotion right now, than there is in real information.

In a nutshell, from a home user point of view,you install a gateway (router) in your home. You can put it behind another router or firewall, but you will need to open the reserved ports responsible for the voice data. You specify the server by IP address, and provide an endpoint name (soon to become MAC address) in order for it to authenticate you, and provide your number, services, and a sort of "proxy" for POTS (lack of a better term).

The backend of the technology is not very well documented on the internet. There appears to be an influx of proprietary information though. I will search for these ressources on your behalf. My knowledge comes from the direct administration of such products. I am looking for vendor neutral information myself.

by dafe2

SUre Chris any info you can find would be appreciated.

Most of the stuff I've done with Voip is with CISCO & Avaya..........not parctical for the house of course & the knowledge I gained from these implementions wouldn't help me in that area.

Hardware wise, I use three routers at the house so that's no problem.

Thanks again.

by house

Here is a resource guide, developed by a company who ripped us off. Ironic as it may sound, their documentation is more thorough. We had a contract with the manufacturer that stated that they would not release any of our joint developments to North America. The company in question has since invited third party, GNet being one of them, to set up shop in Taiwan, so that they could purchase the product there, and export the gateways to our continent under their own name. Sneaky little @#$%#. We are currently working on a partnership with a North American company who will remain nameless for the sake of business.

The link will lead you to a .pdf file.

http://tinyurl.com/3jk9m

I will still keep you posted, as I learn more theory behind the topic. My knowledge on the subject has been acquired, like I said, through personal training in a work environment. Please don't hesitate to offer your resources as well. I am more interested in the backend.

You will recognize the UI, as it is very similar to those of a home router.

by hal 9000

On having power. If you have a power outage then no phone unlike the existing Telco setup.

I've seen many adds for "home VoIP" but none of it really impresses me that much.

Col

by dafe2

Most of the stuff you describe is or will be easily implemented by a homeowner. Most of the things we have today are just kludgy implementations of things to come. SImply stated, there's just to much garbage out there right now.

Anyone in (IT) today needs to concentrate on Vision and learning efforts on the Back End to support all this.

The 'Home PC' as we know it will be gone & replaced by one panel in the basement with a fiber running through the JB. As you say, it won't be too long that an IC alone could probably do most of what you describe.

by fluxit

that the PC may have 100's of cpu's in them in the future and that everything will be componentized as you suggested. The business needs to support someone and that someone is the end user.

by house

It appears that the "clock rate" race is over. To promote speed and stability, everyone has been focusing their attention on dual core technology. Combined with a multiprocessor system, you have twice as many configurable CPUs with which to set an affinity, and divvy the load. Most current software is not really built to handle the dual core yet, though it seems to be the way of the future.

by cp7212

I have to agree with this and your previous post. New technology will be implemented (I don't know about easily, I could have pulled all of my teeth out easier than show my parents how to program the VCR when it came out) by the home user. I used to date this great woman, but had to stop seeing her because before a date, the question, "When I use my PC....." It got old mighty quick. The new technology may be very useful, but nowadays it's almost a better buy to get a new PC than pay for a couple of hours repair work, unless you have sensitive data. It's almost getting to be a paradox, get a new Dell PC for $300 now, but pay $80/hour to get it fixed after the warranty runs out?!?

by house

I'm not sure where the "windowed" concept came from. I thought the GUI concept came from Xerox too, but in defense of Gates and Allen, they were innovators at one time. They created the BASIC programming language, as well as other hybrids and contributions to others such as COBOL.

by peter_es_uk

The Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code is a lot older than either Gates or Allen - I learned to code in Basic when I was at college and that was in the 60's

by tony hopkinson

Day not wasted, learnt something. Bill invented BASIC, always wondered who to blame for that.
Oh well, have to take it back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC_programming_language#History
Wasn't Bill aparently, nor was he the first to take it on board followed on from DEC PDPs among other's apparently.

Terrible language, though. Could be made better with a few changes but then it would lose both it's appeal and it's main marketing advantage.

by hal 9000

As Xerox showed both Gates & Jobs their prototype before they junked the "Lidia Project" in favor of their core business.

Col

by jdclyde

We prefer to think of it as borrowing with no intention of returning or giving credit where credit due.

It is all in how you look at it.

For some people the glass is half full for the rest it is a monopoly.

by maxwell edison

.
I still have rabbit ears on my television set.

I got a cell phone only when my company agreed to pay for it.

I still have and listen to record albums.

My (outstanding) home stereo system is older than many people who post messages in these threads.

MP3? Why would I want one of those if it won't play my records?

DVD? I don't even have a CD burner in my home computer - a 733 MHZ PIII.

I'm consumed with IT issues at work. But at home it's a different story entirely.

by maecuff

I only have a cell phone because my company tells me I need to have it. We listen to record albums. I did, however, break down and buy a DVD player last weekend.

One of my employees asked why she never sees my palm pilot. I said, because I don't have one. She was shocked. How do I keep track of everything. Well, same way we did when we didn't have palm pilots?? This is the same employee who couldn't believe I didn't take my cell phone when I go for a walk, what if my kids need to get a hold of me? What if something goes wrong at work? Well, I guess it will wait until I GET HOME, same as I waited for MY parents when they went out without me. sheesh.

by maxwell edison

.
My only "Palm Pilot" is the person flying the plane when I fly to Las Vegas.

ba-da-boom.

(sorry, couldn't resist.)

by dafe2

Over the past couple of years I've been 'tearing down' all the tech stuff. Fed up with constant upgrades & all that BS.

At one point, I think a couple of years ago, I had a Pocket PC, BlackBerry, Cel Phone and pager plus VPN to the office.
NO ONE needs to be that available.

I agree, there's nothing like the sound of a needle going across vinyl at the end of the day.

Make no mistake though...........that remote control isn't THAT far away from me either.:-)

by jdclyde

I thought I was the only one to feel that way about cell phones. (I still haven't got one yet).

Why would I want someone calling me when I am driving or walking or whatever? Most of my calls at home and work go right to voice mail as it is.

But then again, Microwave popcorn does take too long.

by consultant davea

This is the same argument I am having with my wife and 16 y/o daughter. She wants a call phone. Here are her reasons why:

1) When she's waiting for the school bus, and it doesn't show up, she can call her friends and find out what's happenning. Answer: Walk back the 150 feet to our house and use the phone at home. "But what if the bus shows up while I'm inside?" Ans: If they don't wait, take a day off from school, and I'll deal with the bus company about it.

2) How do I call home when I'm out with my friends? Ans: They all have phones, use one of theirs.

3) What if I need to reach Mommy when I am at school? Ans: The school has phones, ask to use them. Lord help anyone at that school who refuses to let my child call her mother when she thinks its important!!

Imagine - she wants me to pay $10 a month ($120 a year) so she can make idiot calls to her friends and other bull---- things.

When she starts driving herself to college, it will be a different story, but until then I don't find she has a valid reason to need a cell phone ... All her life emergencies either happen at home or school or with friends, where she has phones available.

by netman1958

I whole heartedly agree with what everyone is saying about cell phones. I have had one for years and it seems they always ring at the most inopportune times. I've almost thrown mine out the window several times.

However, on New Years Eve of 2000, my wife was living in an apartment. She was in bed asleep while people were playing with fireworks outside. Some of the fireworks landed on the roof of the apartment building and started a fire that ultimately destroyed the building.

My wife's cat woke her up and she noticed the smoke in the apartment (the smoke detector never went off). She went to the phone and it was dead. She found her cell phone and called 911. At this point, the fire department had already arrived and was putting out the fire. They thought they had everyone out of their apartment but couldn't see the door to to my wife'sapartment because it was in an awkward area. 911 radioed the fire department and relayed the info as my wife gave directions to her apartment from the parking lot. The fireman found her and got her out seconds before the roof collapsed.

So all the aggravation notwithstanding, I'll keep my cell phone with me at all times.

by house

I don't have cable or satellite television either. I have no use for it. I am, unfortunately, addicted to video games. I've had pagers and cell phones, but I haven't used one or the other in almost 2 years. There are certain things that I can do without. I am more concerned about society as a whole.

I'm consumed with IT issues in the pursuit of knowledge, and not necessarily for personal luxury.

by dafe2

I could never do those...........but i'll spend crazy ammounts of money and time on Home Theater Gear. Then top it off with a 'turntable'. Still nothing compares to that sound.

Too funny -- > I setup a wireless link to my receiver so I could play music from one of my systems. If Outlook happens to be open and I get mail the Hoooooteeeeeel Caaaaaliiiiiforniia may just as well be in Japan.

Even better? I don't care ennough to deal with it :-)

by nd_it

I have cable at home, since I enjoy watching different cable channels, mostly the outdoor channel, and movie channels. But my PC is only a 700Mhz with 320MB of RAM. I only turn it on to read the news maybe once a week. Being consumed with it at work, I don't feel like turning it on at home. What's funny is I didn't even buy a computer until I was done with college, of which I have a IT degree :)

by john bartlett

I agree wholeheartedly. I try to keep IT (and "hi tech") out of my home as much as possible but stay connected. At work anything goes.

It seems to me that these startups (or upstarts?) are so facinated by a possibility that they don't even ask if it makes sense. I guess it is our fault because there always seems to be enough of us out there, with more money than brains, who will buy this stuff. Whatever happened to keeping it in the labs until it worked and made sense?

My real concern is that big business is acting like teenage kids. They "grow" by sucking up half-baked businesses and trying to generalize their niche. All of my clients just need to communicate (written and oral) and have it be simple and reliable. They can't afford to be changing an OS or Word Processor every year and don't need it. Their needs were met years ago but they have to keep dealing with it because they can't get complete support for their five year old system. Business used to insist on a ten to twenty year support life and most people would still like it that way dispite all the Microsoft (et al.) marketing.

by house

The robotics and engineering involved are not moving at the same exponential rate as that of information systems.

Are you thinking of "replicator rations"? Too much sci-fi for you my friend.

by fluxit

I am not thinking like the ole star trek replicators that fashion food from molecular stores.

Companies that went belly in the last several years such as Sunbeam are looking for new ways to re-enter the marketplace. I think the smart home offers great opportunities.

by salamander

One of the areas that I've observed stemming from the growth in technology is the increase in expectations of productivity and availability...for everyone.

Sure, technology is intended to enhance efficiency and productivity...but when do we reach a saturation point? It was not so long ago when a person was unable do their banking online at 2 a.m. -- they would have to wait until Monday morning. Consumers can shop at any time, anywhere, without moving from their chairs. I have more than 65 channels with basic cable, and can order up a movie whenever I like.

With this constant availability, there is also an expectation placed upon people -- consumers and IT people alike -- an expectation to do more and to be available 24/7. Modern technology has often created more work and a blurring of our personal and professional lives.

I have an electronic leash, on page 24/7, a pager that is always on. I had to change personal cell phone numbers because somebody at work got ahold of the number for the phone that I leave in my car for emergencies. He was upset that I never left it on...for their convenience. I get calls in the middle of the night at my home regarding technology troubles, often because it's easier to call me than look it up in the documentation. I don't mean this to be a Gen-X complaint about company loyalty impinging upon my personal life. I get paid for what I do. But a generation ago, I think that would have been unfathomable.

People are expected to do more with their personal lives, to multitask everywhere. I drive down the street and see people with DVD players on in their minivans...for trips to the grocery store. Call waiting allows you to chat with boring people until someone more interesting rings. Kids don't find books entertaining enough, anymore...they have to have video games to teach them to read, something that engages *all* their senses. People get upset if there is a line at the drive-through or the ATM. People have the expectation of being entertained and their needs catered to at every moment. Myself included -- I'm listening to the CD player as I type.

My grandmother is funny...I envy her sometimes. She goes "to town" and does her shopping once a week, and it is a big treat for her to go eat out. She has no computer, no e-mail, no answering machine. She has three channels of television from the rabbit ears. No VCR, no DVD. And she is happy...imagine that.

We don't have to *wait* in our society for anything, anymore. We have the attention spans of gnats, in large part due to immediate technological gratification. What we fail to realize is that there is a cost to this, both personal and professional.

I think the cost is this: that silence will become obsolete in the future.

by jcbick

Ray Bradbury covered a large part of this concern in Farenheit 451. The ability to have contact and gratification without leaving the house or actually interacting directly with another human may have been extreme in the book, but I'm not sure how far any more.

by is girl

During the 50's, the housewife was supposed to be freed from her life of drugery by the revolutionary new appliances being marketed. Imagine life without a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, and an electric vacuum cleaner.

People thought the quality of their lives would improve because they would have so much more time to spend with their families.

What happened to all that time? Women went to work to pay for it all. They still work just as hard, but at different things that hanging sheets on the line and beating rugs.

The future will be just like the past. We will buy into the myth that the new gadgets and technology will improve our lives only to find ourselves working harder to pay for it and more stressed out than ever.

How about technology that will do our jobs for us so we can go home and fix a real meal for our families, plant a garden, take a walk or spend actual time chatting face to face with a friend?

by hal 9000

Has been baned by most countries so we'll all have to wait a bit longer for it to come about.

Col

by salamander

I agree with you, IS Girl. I can see our needs and wants completely spiralling out of control...for things that are really luxury goods. Not that I would consider my washing machine and vacuum cleaner to be a luxury good...but the Palm Pilot sure is.

I read a marketing study a couple of months ago about how sellers of goods that were previously considered to be unobtainable luxury goods...auto makers, jewellers, perfumiers, designers, etc....have purposefully marketed to the middle- and upper-middle classes the idea that luxury goods are the status quo of living life in the U.S. For Pete's sake, Isaac Mizrahi (sp?) is now designing for Target. The bar is forever being raised, and we will forever be caught in the hamster wheel trying to achieve that standard of "success."

by fluxit

is that MIT developed the OOP concepts that x-windows was built on during the 1960's. However, the computers of the time were unable to do that kind of operation. It was not until later circa 70's that corporate america began experimenting with the concepts developed at MIT.

This is why I posted a thread that so many think they know it all and yet know nothing. I was speaking to a teacher recently who teaches history. She was telling me all about the internet and how Al Gore started it. When I told her it was an outcome of Sputnik and the space race beginning in the 1950's before Congress funded the idea in the late 1960's she became absolutely obstinate with me not much different than some people here.

by dafe2

They where HONEST questions.

I'd thank you for clearing it up your thought but I feel I may hurt the only feeling you brought here today.

Get a grip.

by hal 9000

She honestly really didn't say that did she?

That reminds me of the Evangelical Christians who sing Bob Dylan's Knocking on Heavens Door as a Gospel Song, they too do not really understand what it means but at least they are good for a laugh.

Col

by fluxit

The dialogue did occur and she was very obstinate that she knew it but the Al Gore part just added the right seasoning. I was hoping that so left wing nutcase would fly off the handle so I could run up my posting meter having some fun.

by bfilmfan

While it is a heretical view, I would counter that the Internet was actually started by the science fiction fans, such as Roger Ebert, publisher of Stymie, who had discussions in their small fanzines who are actually the fore-fathers on the Internet and even the discussion boards, of which Techrepublic is an example.

While I am aware that most of the TechRepublic readers were born far after these halcyon days when a reader could actually speak to a 20-yr old Harlan Ellison, it was those fans who eventually became the scientists that did invent the hardware and software that became the Internet.

I would direct everyone's attention to an interesting essay which Roger Ebert produced for Asimov's entitled "Thought Experiments."

http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0501/thoughtexperiments.shtml

by fluxit

Did you know that Techrepublic is actually using the technology that the 'Watchman' sports watches use when programming those devices.

Instead Techrepublic is really programming our minds with sublimal flashes of the screen. Read some of the posting - I think they were made while in a catatonic state during the mind programming sessions.

For example, I am a 'Tron' drifting aimlessly in a plasma ion cloud through out the universe unbounded by space-time.

by jdclyde

I even had a teacher claim the Civil war was fought to free the slaves.

Go figure.

by fluxit

The Civil War was not fought to free the slaves. It was fought to preserve the Union because the south wanted to secede. The slavery issue was used to rally the people.

by house

...depends on the internet. The internet does go down, therefore, I still have my plain old telephone too.

by house

It looks like you beat me on that one. I gave you a 32 page instructional booklet with screenshots, and you gave me a freakin' Cisco textbook. I will be reading than one right through, start to finish. Awsome reference. Thanks. :)

* Note that the reference that I've posted, is very outdated. We have released about 4 or 5 flash upgrades since... adding new functionality... and changing the interface in the style of our corporate logo. I'm not sure if "keep alive" was an option on our original. That setting will allow your call to remain "alive" in the event of short burps or brief periods of inactivity on the internet. Obviously there will be packet loss, that goes without saying, but the call itself will not be disconnected.

by maecuff

Well, you NEED a remote. Who wants to get up to change channels? Although, small children work just as well. :)

by hal 9000

And then they grew up so I had to splash out on batteries and learn how to use the remote for the video.

What can I say I'm a stupid Computer Tech I can not be expected to know how how to use such complicated things like remote controls or be able to reset videos after a power outage that's what the wife and manuals are for. The same applies to my Ceil phone provided I can accept calls and make them I do not really care what else is on the thing and other than putting in a Sim Card and battery it's all I'm interested in. I just do not need the rest of all the junk that comes on them.

Col

by maecuff

I watched a movie this weekend, "Bubba Ho Tep", Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) plays Elvis living in a nursing home and warding off soul sucking zombies. It was a riot.

by hal 9000

What has a British Police TV Show "The Bill" got to do with Microsoft?

Now that one was just too much for me to resist!

Col :D

by dafe2

Linus had a starring role as the 'Soul Man'.

DAFE2:-)

My appologies to 'maecuff' .....I couldn't resist that one!

by bob in calgary

Both my wife and I work in IT all day at work, When we get home the last thing I want to do is see a PC. We have cell phones for the kids to get hold of us and work cell phones when on call but that's it, Our home PC is a 266 MHz dinosaur that only has dial up access to work. For us our non work hours are spent tending to our animals, Talking, walks on the ranch etc oh and the occasional trip to the local bar for a dose of reality, Very redneck as we live in cattle country in southern alberta.
Our retirement dream is to never see a computer again.

by phineas

"Our retirement dream is to never see a computer again"

you are obviously a very intelligent man Bob.

come and hang out with us 'old farts' in Europe any time you want :)

by gralfus

Sometimes, all I want to do is prepare my planting bed and think about what I'm going to grow this next season. Technology is fine, but when it becomes so important that our lives wrap around it, I start looking for real life: dirt, plants, worms, hot in summer, cold in winter, wet most of the other time. I used to get my raincoat on and go lie down in the back yard and listen to the rain fall on and around me. I try to "see" my surroundings by shutting my eyes and listening for each puddle and sound the rain makes.

I know some folks that live among the Mexican Indians, who have no electricity, no electronic devices, barely any flashlights. When the stock market falters or crashes, they don't even notice. In fact, they've never even heard of the stock market, DVDs, MP3s, VHS, records, or reel to reel tapes. Yet, they continue to live and draw in their harvests year after year. It isn't comfortable at all, but they have a culture, families, and houses (stick huts and dirt floors).

So technology has its advantages, but "a man's life does not consist of the things he owns."

by dafe2

Oh well........something to keep your mind sharp on those cold days? ;-)

by dafe2

It wasn't that far off topic really....

Sounds like a standard Microsoft vs Linux 'movie'
to me ;-)

by house

That little guy is 'Fatty'.

PS - I couldn't find my USB cord for my camera, so I cropped one of my old pictures. I just realized that I have no pictures of myself.

Chris :)

by salamander

...only much larger! I adopted a kitten recently with markings almost exactly like that. I thought about posting it, but you've beaten me to the punch! I haven't yet found any good ones of salamanders, so I'll be sticking with "generic shadow person." :)

One of my previous employers wanted to post our pictures on the internet several years ago. That was one thing that was strenuously resisted by all, and was thankfully defeated.

by hal 9000

If someone was to attempt to take your photo the camera would break.

That is why you have put the USB lead in such a safe place isn't it?

Col :D

by house

Tell you what... later on, I'll upload some pics to an Apache web server... I will post the link under here so that you can check them out in the directory... if you want. :)

chris

by fluxit

A system having 100's of processors would have each processor with its own clock and they would exchange data asynchronously. I could foresee a logical backplane that is used to organize the array of processors. That backplane could be a function of the operating system and software would task a 'mother' processor that manages the tasking. another approach is a layer could be added in that is above the operating system and below the application software.

An encapsulated CPU processing device could have a dual processor arrangement to promote stability.

The use for such an arrangement could be used to have the computer establish lines of logic based on a sensory array inputs. Parrallel processors would assess data inputs and serial processors would establish lines of logic. So your home would have a human like personality and be able to bahave like a person would in realtime. Other uses could be realtime decision making in a high tempo operation.

by pivert

look around you and look at the jobs around you. will there still be cashiers at the supermarket? or even will there still be supermarkets or are you going to order on-line and have it delivered to your frontdoor? banks: on-line, cars: you'll be doing everything from home,... i think we'll have to reconsider the whole concept of money and jobs. if this evolution is going that way, i think the economy as we know it will suffer from a "the day after tomorrow"-scenario. think further but be ready for some sleepless nights :-)

by gurkhan

I think you may be forgetting the gratification factor. I can order on-line, often cheaper, but I still like to go down to the local store to buy much of what I want because I like to feel the items and be able to walk out the door with them. It is still fun to go out to a real store and browse first. As for cashiers. Yes they will be around for a long time. Stores in my town put in the self-serve check-outs and then started to reduce the number they had because most people still like to have a cashier do it for them. Technology doesn't drive change, people do.

by blart

Think to the manufacture of cars, which have a longer history than IT, but in many respects are just more 'technical gadgets'. Superb innovation in streamlining, safetey devices, fuel injection, engine management and efficiency and construction techniques have been made over the last hundred years, but what do the marketing departments sell ... alloy wheels and walnut trim to the dashboard.

I think that eventually everything will come down to watch the pretty lights and don't even think about what goes on under the bonnet (sorry, under the hood). It's a bit sad for the likes of us who like to know what goes on - but then we're not a very large market sector, so we'll just have to trust the manufacturers of these things to get it right and be honest about what's being sold. After all MicroSoft et al. only have your best interests at heart, don't they?

by hal 9000

Volvo has a new car on the drawing board that is based on womens wants! Naturally it is impossible to gain access to the engine or under the Hood/Bonnet as it is a sealed item just like the engine which will never need servicing.

Currently they have been unable to work out a way of doing away with the fuel filler but they are trying.

Col

by nicknielsen

I had to take a course on elementary programming concepts in 1972 as a prerequisite to COBOL; the language used was BASIC.

What Bill actually did was port BASIC to the i86 architecture.

by shuubz

in every field, it becomes difficult to keep up with advancements and improvements as the field matures. my orthodontist made that same exact complaint about his profession, and basic medicine has had this problem for ages. my aunt, who is a nurse, has to recertify every two years, or she loses her license.

globalization accelerates this trend. it injects many more hungry, capable people into one's field. like it or not, this will be the way of the world. those folks that beat the globalization drum the hardest, woke up one day to discover that they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, and now have to compete with people from all over the globe, as national borders no longer shield them from competition. i would laugh at them, but i'm in the same boat.

i have worked in the US for the last 20 years, and the phrase "it's not what you know or how good you are, but who you know that matters" made it difficult to do well in the workplace. this new tech order may actually turn the field more meritocratic, where people who are technically excellent and professionally effective will excel. you can call it darwinian if you want, but i think it may do some good, and force the complacent and the ineffective to get off their butts, or get out of the way.

by redragtoabull

The scenario you describe is interesting in that it is the "Future Now". With few exceptions the technology you discuss is not only available but almost ubiquitous, though not necessarily present in the form factors you describe. Note: Internet appliances for the kitchen counter (Calendar 2 feet from the refrigerator), USB key chains (not far from a handshake), SMS phones and blackberries for sending love letters to your amour, and personal RFID implants in use by prominent south american politicians.

My question is are we consumed, or is it just another thread in the fabric of evolution?

Maybe we techs are overwhelmed by the constant development or new applications of technology, but
in reality, the more advanced it gets, the easier it is for us. How many techs worry about IRQs or memory pages these days? Except for hardware geeks and assembly language developers, not too many I would guess thanks to plug-and-play.

The cool thing about technology, especially as it relates to the internet, is that it makes it possible to create and leverage a personal "network" of subject matter experts. No one person need be an island anymore. Services like http://www.Linkedin.com and http://www.mlgrocksit.com enable us to leverage other people's skills and experience, making it unneccesary to learn each and every nuance about the latest and greates mousetrap.

I no longer worry about keeping up with everything, because no matter what the technology, there is someone out there in my network that knows it inside and out.

Will Mechem
people.love.technology
www.mlgrocksit.com/MCHome

by dmerrill

"... the more advanced it gets, the easier it is for us. How many techs worry about IRQs or memory pages these days?"

Exactly. It's easier for us because of what we no longer need to "worry" about. In ten years, how many techs will understand what an IRQ is or what it's for? How many programmers will understand the nature of assembly language? (For that matter, how many understand it now?)

"No one person need be an island anymore." In fact, no one person CAN be. If we needn't understand it, we won't learn it. We'll depend on someone else to know it and build it into the hardware or the IDE that we buy. As the outer edges of technology expand, control of the core technologies moves into corporate hands. Our jobs become more specialized (and less distinguishable from others), and those precious core technologies are leveraged for profit in the web-based refrigerator and the everything-in-one cell phone.

by sww

Sounds like what Great Grandpa might have said about refrigeration, electric fans, toasters, central heating or any other scientific "mumbo jumbo": "BAH" "Who needs all that complicated junk?"
Advancement(of any technology) merely expands the need for specialization - and thus creates jobs.

Can you troubleshoot and fix your car's fuel injection system? Someone can.

Can you install your own central air unit? Someone can.

Can you identify a tumor off of a CAT scan? someone can.

etc, etc, etc.

Advancing technology is only a bummer for those of us who wear many hats - and like it. We just have to give up a few of the hats.

by kangaroux

Advancing Technology expands our envelope and opens our minds to unforseen possibilities. I don't believe that Technology can advance too far, but it can outpace the human element.
The choice to accept or reject that which is new is open to everyone. The few who grasp the theory and embrace the mindset have to decide whether to help society with their knowledge or victimize society for their own personal gain. These are decisions that all of us make with all that we do in a social environment.

by gnx

With all the technology that is coming out now, can't someone build a decent time machine? But seriously, stuff that was simple when I was a kid is now complicated with passwords and access codes etc. Kids now seem to play baseball on a PS2. We seem to be overteching (a new word) ourselves faster than we can understand it. Let's go back to the days of the 4 barrel carburetor and rear wheel drive. It will be much simpler and less stressfull for us in IT.

by placidair

because of it's ever-changing nature. I'm one of those people who becomes horribly, horribly bored if things aren't changing and I'm not having to learn new things all the time. IT was the perfect field in which to avoid that issue. And there are a lot of people like me in the field. I've met many of them. Something new comes down the pike and it's almost as if you've given us a new toy to play with and we want to master it and get it down until we've got it -- and then we want something new to "play" with. Yes, we take our work very seriously and understand that it's not really play, it's work and the results matter -- and that's part of the fun of it. Yes, I said "fun". I'm happiest at work when learning something new. Some new concept, new application, new logic, new working model -- something, anything that makes my brain work. Some people have to pursue hobbies to get that for themselves. Those of us lucky enough to be working in the IT field get to get that from our work (as long as we have a job at a firm that isn't scared of change and therefore still running software that is several years behind current rather than "risk" anything new).

Now how cool is that?

by eggy

Wow! This is eerie! A whole bunch of other folks think the same way as me?!

My aerial (upgraded from rabbit ears!) works fine to bring me all the 'entertainment' and 'recreation' I want from that media. (yes, there's sarcasm in there).

Last year I got back into gardening. It's very enjoyable and rewarding! Even now in January in the snowy north I'm thinking abouit next year's garden! For years I've been too busy, 'serving' technology, to allow time for this hobby. But it's much more relaxing and gratifying than playing with the latest cool gadget or installing another LAN/router/server/OS/SP/upgrade/you-name-it.

What's happening? Is it that a portion of us are turning 'old'? Or is it affected all tech users?

Pete

by red_wolf9

Then way back in 2000...

We would have teleported from the bedroom to the kitchen where our robot maid would have breakfast waiting. We would be issuing voice commands like "Car.. take the kids to school" to our cold fusion hovercar. We could fly to the office using a jetpack, and we would only have to work 3 hours a day because we are so efficient.

Total BS I know, my point is that technology never advances as fast as you think, and like medicine just because you can... should you? Sure the digital home will evolve someday, but count me out. Just imagine how much fun it would be to hack Windows: Suburban Home Edition.

Dear Inconvenienced Homeowner,
If you pay me $10,000.00 dollars: I will stop flashing every light in your home every 3.5 minutes, I will allow you to set the thermostat to something other then 110 degrees. In keeping with my generous nature I will also quit powering off your refrigerator and spoiling all your food, playing porn while your children are trying to watch cartoons, stop redirecting your VoIP calls to the Public Address system at the local mall every time your wife calls her "new lover", your stereo will be able to play something other then Howard Stern 24/7, your oven adn microwave will not always be set on thermonuclear, and the grocery store will stop sending you only adult diapers and douche.

If you don?t pay (God help you, cause I won?t)? I will make home life far more inconvenient then it is now.

Yours truly,
The Home H@><0r
(0\/\/n1/\/G y0|_|r 4r$e like n3\/3r B4)

by salamander

Great pictures, house! My new little one looks almost exactly like your "Keaster Bunny"...she even has white paws! :) I'm sure that you guys enjoy all of your little ones...but do you have a favorite?

by erich1010

Is this too much?! What kind of question is that?? It's not enough, as far as I'm concerned!

Yes, we're getting more features in phones, PDA, and cameras. And there is some cross-integration. You now can get a phone with a PDA and camera. But it isn't quite there yet.

We now have cordless phones and cell phones. There's no reason for that. We should be able to use one phone anywhere. Voice over IP is becoming viable. I have it at home. However, my cable TV still uses a separate signal. They should be better integrated, so that I can get my own TV over IP wherever I want. The bandwidth is improving daily, but is not quite enough for that on a large scale.

Just recently, they are building some stereo features into PC and making them part of the entertainment center. However, they still haven't quite handled the distribution of the entertainment throughout the house. There are solutions, but they are fairly lo-fi.

MP3 players are great, but still primitive. Why doesn't my car have WiFi yet? Why don't my MP3 automatically download to my car stereo and personal PDA through wireless connections in my house?

Also, the several computers, PDAs, and other electronic devices in my house are still a pain to synchronize. They should all use each other's processing power as range and function permit.

Any Wireless is still too limited. My cell phone has bluetooth, but the software still has too many bugs in it. Any I still have to drag too many power cords, cables, and whatnot around with me whereever I go. And even with USB becoming prevalent, there are still too many proprietary connectors for devices. My laptop battery doesn't last long enough. I don't have convenient power connectors in my car.

And where are the wearable computers?? You don't hear ANYTHING about them these days. What about implants?? Wouldn't it be nice if people had implanted earpieces and the rest of us wouldn't have to hear all of those stupid ring tones anymore??

There are too many communication protocols. There isn't enough interoperability. Software compatibility issues are still a pain. There are too many types of memory cards.

Yes, we've come a long way and much of what we've accomplished is overwhelmingly awesome, compared to the last decade. However, there is still a long way to go. The main problem that people have with technology is not the useful benefits it gives people, but its shortfalls. If it weren't for the annoying aspects of technology, caused because we're still trying to figure out what's useful, people could use it or ignore it and not worry about it.

by titssni

Sounds like you've been delving into the whole IT/Electronics world for a while seeking interoperability.

I do share your views and believes. I do beleive that the industry needs to stop producing so many contradicting devices, ideas and concepts and start coming up with single solutions that work on a broader basis.

If you look closely there are 15-20 devices that all do the same things but are different only by a mere element or factor, from cell phone, PCs, electronics and other devices. I would love one phone which is both cell phone (outdoor/travelling) and when I get home it becomes my cordless phone in home with full speakerphone, dial pad and speakerphone in the base. Why do you need a cell phone and a home phone. I don't know about you guys but for me here in NY a cell phone is better and more affordable to have than a land line. Now that's serious coming from a few years back when cell phones were so much of apain with signal issues and being very costly to have a maintain.

Now cell phones are free and plans are very affordable which warrants a better choice than a home phone.

It's all about choices, manay choices leads to one decision and the decision is yours to make on which of the technology you wish to get. I always check out the products and make a selection that is more than what I was looking for in the beginning.

BTW- Great conversation guys

by worm farmer

Same thing. Every conversation used to be about computers and the latest and greatest bestest hunk of PC machinery available at the time.

It got to the point where I just say I'm burned out on IT and the Bestest of the computer world...
I think I'll just go into the worm farming business. Put up a bait stand on the highway. Hey! Maybe I could add value with an internet cafe fishing!

by davspa

About the marketing, I think that sellers are trying to saturate the entire US market. They are doing this by attempting to alter our thinking about a product into "I can't be without this", or "I'm nobody without this", or "I'll be left out without this". But it is all hype, not true. Only some things are essential, regardless of what they say. I don't think we have to listen to their marketing.

Does anyone of average income listen seriously to Lexus or Mercedes or Rolex ads on television? They are nice items, but I never seriously consider buying them.

by davspa

It is true that technology is changing faster than anyone can keep up with it. I agree that it will not be too long until no one will understand all of it. I have also been overwhelmed at the choices, possibilities, and complexities available with technology.

What I am thinking is that maybe the reason everything is so confusing is that it is like what one commenter said here, that technology has not matured yet, so in many cases it is more of a nuisance than a help. I am hoping that it will get to the point that it seems in some sci-fi future movies, where everything is a component, that there are standard parts and everything is made of those parts. You will be able to tell the guy at the counter that "I don't have VOIP connectivity on my TV", and he will bring out a standard part that will fix it. No one will understand all the small parts of things, but will just understand that the parts do what they are purported to do.

It is just like the way computer chips are made now. No one person understands all of the parts on a chip (I imagine), but they know that each part does some function, and that it is reliable. We use cars and televisions and phones all the time, and most people do not know the intimate details of them. I think that this may be the best way to approach such things.

by reinhardt

Absurdities abound in this new era of electronic and software driven everything. As a father, I have listened, completely baffled, as they telephone each other on their cell phones while sitting at their respective PC's within perhaps 50' of each other. It is my firm belief that "we" have created a monster, one that perhaps one day will have either gained or created enough "artificial" inteligence to decide that we humans are completely expendable and this planet is better off without us. My friends and family, with all the gadgets, can barely manage the On/Off functions of most of their equipment much less troubleshoot problems with software and hardware. As a society, we are so inundated with and enamored of the multitude of wizardry available to us that I can envision the day when someone will drop a slice of bread into a toaster (remember those?) and from that point on won't have a clue how to make the thing work.
I have watched the progression of computers from the Magnavox pong machine through Vic 20's yadda, yadda and been a part of it all. It boggles the mind. As a result of all this what have we attained? A fatter nation, a much less fit nation and a nation that has come to expect to have it all and have it NOW. In our quest for the ultimate in electronic lifestyles we have paid the price of living, truly living and experiencing as opposed to the vicarious life we live through media, electronics and "entertainment".
Do we all really need to take pictures with our phones? Indeed, do we all really need to be so in touch that we can no longer be without a telephone? Personally, I won't own a cell. I don't even wear a watch because I just don't care what time it is and I certainly don't want anybody to get ahold of me any time, anywhere. But, that's just me. The biggest and best bonus I can see from it all is the fact that the proliferation of all of it makes it easier, cheaper and faster to find and create the truly important stuff - like medical breakthroughs and most other life science endeavors. Thanks for joining me on this rant.
But then I'm guessing that you already knew what I had to say because out there somewhere, somehow, "The Big Brother Software Co." has already picked my brain, written what I was going to say so that I didn't have to expend all that energy pressing keys.

by admin

~LoL~ this reminds me of when I decided I really didn't care to try and fully understand the schematic for the 486 chip.

For some reason it was important to me for a long time to still try and understand the actual electron paths in IC's- especially processors. Here's a bit of good advice you will reach one way or another: The reason no one is satisfied with 42 being the answer to the question of the "ultimate understanding" or "everything" is that it is actually not a very good question. If you are not sure of this reference, please go here:

http://tinyurl.com/rqf6

These days when I breadboard, I have no idea what transistor or resistor is doing what inside an IC, but I know the pin-out and related function. That is enough. I get a lot more done and am much more happy having 100 things that do work than remaining in full pursuit of an ultimate understanding of the first thing. Of course, I would also rather eat than study botany and it's relation to the mammalian diet, so maybe that's just me..

Sigh...How far it's come since then. I built my first computer from a Radio Shack kit in the 70's and the electron flow was beautiful- but I could figure out most everything before I even started programming it, which of course was done by setting up the wiring and throwing the switches! ~L0L~

Then the Commodores and Atari's (I still retain a special Atari PC love) then the 8088 chip and now I sit at my PC and know a lot about how it works- more than enough to get it to do amazing things it perhaps was not even supposed to- but could I build it myself out of discrete parts if I had to? ~LoL~ Perhaps if I had to actually engineer a light bulb or transitor from scratch I would- but with most modern appliances just sit back and make the good times roll! You are still in the drivers seat if you want to be.

The time of the village blacksmith in computer terms has long been over my friend. Even the good Generalists are actually highly specialized in their field these days. The ultimate understanding really dropped off the planet a long time ago.

Best of luck 2 U geeky bro! Please do try and sit back and just realize it is fun to drive from time to time!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)