On the Future Computer Era: Modification of the American Character (1968)(rand.org)
rand.org
On the Future Computer Era: Modification of the American Character (1968)
https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P3780.html
18 comments
As I've said previously: the next time someone asks "who could have predicted the downsides of the Internet?", you can tell them: the guy who invented it, in the 1960s.
I know people that committed crimes in the 60s-70s-80s and were convicted but no one would ever know because the record keeping at the time was temporal.
My one felony from 12 years ago for smoking pot in public has cost me more money/jobs/promotions/relationships from Google searches and background checks than anything imaginable [in my opinion].
I believe that many criminals simply go back to crime since they're unhireable now that information is at everyone's fingertips.
Debt to society is never paid anymore. We have the Chinese "social credit system" in the U.S.; it's simply not announced the way theirs is.
My one felony from 12 years ago for smoking pot in public has cost me more money/jobs/promotions/relationships from Google searches and background checks than anything imaginable [in my opinion].
I believe that many criminals simply go back to crime since they're unhireable now that information is at everyone's fingertips.
Debt to society is never paid anymore. We have the Chinese "social credit system" in the U.S.; it's simply not announced the way theirs is.
[deleted]
What state? Look in to asking/applying for a pardon if it really was just possession.
Arizona; they do not pardon felonies. They will let you "restore your rights" after a number of years; which I have done, but it was expensive and required representation. I can vote, but I can't do much else.
Why is it not unconstitutional in the US to disenfranchise those with a criminal record who have served out their sentence?
The disenfranchisement is seen as part of the sentence. Traditionally, the crimes deserving of this were very serious such as murder, rape, felony robbery, etc. The people committing these crimes were considered as having violated the social contract in such a manner that society could no longer trust them.
Unfortunately, many less serious offences have been classified as more serious in order to be "hard on crime" leading to many generally trustworthy citizens losing rights.
Unfortunately, many less serious offences have been classified as more serious in order to be "hard on crime" leading to many generally trustworthy citizens losing rights.
<IANAL>
The wording of the second clause of the 14th Amendment implies that states are permitted to disenfranchise their citizens in cases of rebellion or crime, as it requires those states to adjust their allotment of representatives when they do.
Also, the Constitution doesn't explicitly state that citizens shall maintain or regain voting rights after having served their time, nor does it forbid disenfranchisement of voting rights, so the power to do so devolves to the states. </IANAL>
Also, the Constitution doesn't explicitly state that citizens shall maintain or regain voting rights after having served their time, nor does it forbid disenfranchisement of voting rights, so the power to do so devolves to the states. </IANAL>
Page 9, The New Character Of The Citizen
"Those who have fallen from the rope, either accidentally or deliberately, will find society not to their liking and won't have much to lose in open hostility. These will be the alienated citizens of tomorrow."
Page 1 Footnote:
"This Paper was presented at the MIT Club of Northern California in San Francisco, 27 February 1968."
Geez. The Tet Offensive had occurred a month earlier, The Monterey Pop Festival 8 months earlier. The Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Who, Hendrix, Joplin, etc. were all just starting out. MLK and RFK were still addressing crowds of listeners and the DNC in Chicago was 6 months away.
Computers generated enormous heat, required 30 and 60 amp power, and filled rooms wall-to-wall.
Abstracting the ideas presented in this paper with everything else going on in the world is a testament to just how serious he viewed his role in developing the use of communications and information technology. He didn't care a wit about cat videos. He cared about whether quantitative decision making contributed to hopelessness, despair and extreme anti-social behavior.
"Those who have fallen from the rope, either accidentally or deliberately, will find society not to their liking and won't have much to lose in open hostility. These will be the alienated citizens of tomorrow."
Page 1 Footnote:
"This Paper was presented at the MIT Club of Northern California in San Francisco, 27 February 1968."
Geez. The Tet Offensive had occurred a month earlier, The Monterey Pop Festival 8 months earlier. The Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Who, Hendrix, Joplin, etc. were all just starting out. MLK and RFK were still addressing crowds of listeners and the DNC in Chicago was 6 months away.
Computers generated enormous heat, required 30 and 60 amp power, and filled rooms wall-to-wall.
Abstracting the ideas presented in this paper with everything else going on in the world is a testament to just how serious he viewed his role in developing the use of communications and information technology. He didn't care a wit about cat videos. He cared about whether quantitative decision making contributed to hopelessness, despair and extreme anti-social behavior.
> He cared about whether quantitative decision making contributed to hopelessness, despair and extreme anti-social behavior.
Makes one wonder, how tall the giants on whose shoulders we rest, really are.
I mean, callous and anti-social behaviour existed before computers came about. Computers are a force multiplier for almost everything at which they are applied.
Page 11:
"It may be appropriate that our profession, not normally given to introspection, start to examine its own role to better appreciate the contribution we might make. I believe those who understand future technology have an obligation to act at least as an early warning system to the rest of society."
Indeed, it seems those 'future technology' wizards need to constantly remind themselves of such duties... and the delicate quandary is that what is old, becomes new again meanwhile.
Makes one wonder, how tall the giants on whose shoulders we rest, really are.
I mean, callous and anti-social behaviour existed before computers came about. Computers are a force multiplier for almost everything at which they are applied.
Page 11:
"It may be appropriate that our profession, not normally given to introspection, start to examine its own role to better appreciate the contribution we might make. I believe those who understand future technology have an obligation to act at least as an early warning system to the rest of society."
Indeed, it seems those 'future technology' wizards need to constantly remind themselves of such duties... and the delicate quandary is that what is old, becomes new again meanwhile.
Excerpt:
> From the earliest age the new child of America will probably be counseled to: "This above all--play it cool; keep your nose clean; don't take chances; do what you're told; don't argue with authority. And remember: nothing you do will ever be forgotten and anything can be held against you. . . . Great pressure will be placed on American citizens to transform from free spirits who do not fear living their lives as men (with the assurance that if one fails one can always try again) into a new nation of tightrope walkers.
> From the earliest age the new child of America will probably be counseled to: "This above all--play it cool; keep your nose clean; don't take chances; do what you're told; don't argue with authority. And remember: nothing you do will ever be forgotten and anything can be held against you. . . . Great pressure will be placed on American citizens to transform from free spirits who do not fear living their lives as men (with the assurance that if one fails one can always try again) into a new nation of tightrope walkers.
This is just one of numerous monographs written by Paul Baran (co-)inventor of packet switching, and cofounder of the Institute for the Future (IFTF).
I'd stumbled across these a couple of years ago and was proufoundly struck by Baran's thoughts and concerns. The entire set of his writings at RAND have been generously put online for free access:
https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/b/baran_paul.html
There's very little from today's discussion not present in earlier periods.
I'd stumbled across these a couple of years ago and was proufoundly struck by Baran's thoughts and concerns. The entire set of his writings at RAND have been generously put online for free access:
https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/b/baran_paul.html
There's very little from today's discussion not present in earlier periods.
> A warning that unintended but disastrous effects on society have resulted from improved and computerized recordkeeping, owing to (1) the habit of limiting the number of variables considered to those easily quantified, (2) the tendency to use records and scores instead of judgment, and (3) the use of information to maximize private profit without regard to the damage inflicted by everybody doing this at once.
Sound familiar to anyone?
Sound familiar to anyone?
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[deleted]
In the old days, they murdered prophets.
Today we are more efficient, and just bury their words in haystacks.
Today we are more efficient, and just bury their words in haystacks.
Well, that’s prophetic.
> Of course, a paper degree never made an engineer, but it does eliminate the necessity for the personnel manager to be able to think.
I'm honestly surprised folks were talking about credentialism back in 1968. Almost like they were just as smart as we are grin
> Of course, a paper degree never made an engineer, but it does eliminate the necessity for the personnel manager to be able to think.
I'm honestly surprised folks were talking about credentialism back in 1968. Almost like they were just as smart as we are grin
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Baran
The diagrams of centralised, decentralised and distributed networks from his 1963 RAND paper "Introduction to Distributed Communications" will be familiar to many.
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/pubs/rese...
Here's the paper. If you ever hear someone say the Internet was designed to survive a nuclear strike, this is the research they're talking about.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_memoranda/RM3420.html