Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!ames!necntc!encore!fay From: fay@encore.UUCP (Peter Fay) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Knowledge Gap? More like Fear gap Message-ID: <2364@encore.UUCP> Date: 17 Dec 87 20:11:33 GMT References: <8712161659.AA25561@bu-cs.bu.edu> Reply-To: fay@encore.UUCP (Peter Fay) Organization: Encore Computer Corp, Marlboro, MA Lines: 38 In article <8712161659.AA25561@bu-cs.bu.edu> "OAK::BASICSTUD"writes: >[...] >intelligent. During the discussion, at least several people seemed to show >some kind of general dislike towards machines (complaining about robots used >in car manufacture, etc.) That sort of state of mind about technology is the >real problem. [...] >(Jeff Mercer) >------ No, the real problem is not "that state of mind about technology", but the social use of the technology. And of course, if the social use of technology is determined (in general) by the ownership of that technology (e.g. Ford owns the robots which replace the welders on the assembly line), then the root of the problem is really ownership. The 'fears' are neither irrational nor unfounded. They derive from the fact that technological advances in this society are first and foremost applied to the workplace to detriment of the worker. Is the reaction of the populace so hard to understand? After all, it has been going on for hundreds of years, starting with the Ludites in England at the beginning of the industrial revolution who went around burning down factories, to the formation of labor organizations in England 150 years ago to protect against the introduction of new machinery which _repeatedly_ brought with it longer working days and less pay, to this century in the U.S. where miners struck continually to prevent introduction of new mining equipment, dockworkers struck to prevent container cargo, autoworkers fought (successfully) to delay introduction of robots, farmworkers struck to stop introduction of tomato pickers, ad infinitum. The computer is one more advance in technology. It, in itself, is harmless. But it's effect in society is no less harmless than a robot on an assembly line. -- peter fay fay@multimax.arpa {allegra|compass|decvax|ihnp4|linus|necis|pur-ee|talcott}!encore!fay