Favoriting Techtonic with Mark Hurst: Playlist from December 18, 2017 Favoriting

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Favoriting December 18, 2017: Steven Levy, tech journalist and author

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This week, live in-studio: Steven Levy, veteran tech journalist and author. Levy is founder of Backchannel, a tech news publication hosted on the Wired site. Previous positions include senior writer for Wired; and chief technology writer and a senior editor for Newsweek.

See also:

Video of Skeptech 2 conference held in Monty Hall on October 26 (feat. Jon Ronson, Nancy Lublin, and Mark Hurst)

Subscribe to the Techtonic podcast to catch up on past episodes.

Artist Track Images Approx. start time
  Interview with Steven Levy, technology journalist and author, about where tech is headed.
Tomaš Dvořák  Game Boy Tune   Favoriting    
  Mark's intro  
Favoriting
0:02:22 (Pop-up)
  Interview with Steven Levy  
Favoriting
0:14:45 (Pop-up)
  Your calls and comments  
Favoriting
0:45:30 (Pop-up)


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Listener comments!

  6:02pm
melinda:

Hola
Avatar 🤖 Swag For Life Member 6:06pm
Webhamster Henry:

Hi folks! I can't really participate today, but I'll say hi to Steven Levy from Nemo of ECHO.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:07pm
pinholga:

Wait, _THE_ Steven Levy?!?!?!?


OMG!!!!! Hackers was so inspiring to middle-school me!
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:08pm
Michael 98145:

We are not alone : www.theguardian.com...
Avatar 🤖 Swag For Life Member 6:09pm
Ken From Hyde Park:

I'm not on the tweeter, but I saw something about some tweeties between Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and a couple guys about net neutrality.
  6:09pm
Bruce F:

Elon Musk is not your friend.
  6:10pm
Bruce F:

He's figured out how to scam, via subsidies, all of us.
  6:13pm
jess:

I would like to hear more of that interview
Avatar 🤖 Swag For Life Member 6:14pm
Ken From Hyde Park:

Thanks, more affirmation to never sign up for a Facebook account.
  6:16pm
rw:

Public transportation in So. Cal. does kind of suck. So does driving though.
  6:17pm
Dean:

That Guardian article links to the comment to FCC, which appears to be a pretty good layman's account of the Internet. It cites, for instance, to Comer's Intro to TCP/IP, a much earlier edition of which I read when I was responsible for maintaining a network with a 'net connection. Comer isn't easy reading, but the FCC comment is prudently simplified.
Avatar 6:20pm
Evan From Seattle:

Facebook is so evil. The scary thing is, they aren't alone in their evil data collection practices and privacy violation. Google does it too, Microsoft. Everyone really. As someone who has written content for years and is now doing more marketing stuff and seeing how the sausage is made, and how much of our data and personal information we give away to we have no idea who and how we can be tracked, its terrifying. But more just really really sad and disappointing. Oh well. Really excited for this interview!
Avatar 6:20pm
Davee:

Ack!
Avatar 6:21pm
Davee:

Facebook is creepy and I no longer participate . . .
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:22pm
coelacanth∅:

but...apple morally SUCKS! (even if their products, up till a few years ago, were good)
...and steve jobs was a dick.
people shouldn't support that shit. it's as bad as supporting ford or nestle or facadebook or amazon or ...........
Avatar 6:23pm
Davee:

I'm on linked in and am thinking of cutting out.....that is creepy too
Avatar 6:24pm
Davee:

I hate Apple, the hardware is good but software has it's shit hooks in you
Avatar 6:25pm
Davee:

Amazon sucks too
  6:25pm
Dean:

Watch it...you're wandering into "The kids these days" territory. I never thought the web approached its potential, even from the get-go.
  6:25pm
Jay Chakrapano:

Hi Mark!
Avatar 6:26pm
Davee:

Kids are the most venerable
Avatar 6:26pm
Davee:

vulnerable
Avatar 6:27pm
Davee:

The best is to be anonymous
  6:27pm
Dean:

A version of the "guns don't kill people" argument?
Avatar 🤖 Swag For Life Member 6:28pm
Ken From Hyde Park:

I've seen a good bit about AI and enhanced reality recently. Will that be the "next big thing"?
Avatar 6:28pm
Evan From Seattle:

Amazon is super creepy. Also they won at capitalism. And when something is bad, and when a company is doing something evil especially with our data we need to call it out. New technology will be exploited and we have to be wary of that and not say hey is this actually something that's ok and safe for society without worrying about the "oh its a kids these days" type of thing where people wont say anything because they will think its just because its different.
Avatar 6:28pm
Jeff Moore:

Microsoft was found in court to be a predatory monopoly - but the government failed to follow up with the appropriate remedies because right about then the George W. Bush regime arrived in Washington, and the case was allowed to drop.
  6:30pm
Dean:

FB announced it using the most cloyingly bullshit-laden business school jargon: "To help us foster more authentic engagement..."
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:33pm
Michael 98145:

@Dean, back when we were attending Interop in the late 80s, we never thought it would come to this place
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:34pm
coelacanth∅:

well, starfucks is also a predatory monopoly but most americans aren't going to stop buying their overpriced and really shitty coffee are they. it's so convenient - and fashionable.
most people don't comprehend the concept of pragmatism or responsibility.
Avatar 6:34pm
Davee:

BBBUUUUURRRRPPPP!
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:34pm
coelacanth∅:

(whole foods and trader joe's,also - on that level)
Avatar 6:34pm
Davee:

I do not shop at starbucks and I am proud
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:35pm
coelacanth∅:

haha nice
  6:35pm
Dean:

Hey, @coelacanth∅, last minute on Scott's show I found this:
https://www.thespruce.com/polish-horseradish-recipe-chrzan-1137522
Avatar 6:36pm
Davee:

I try my darnest to use my local small business. I am usually successful, I am pissed when small business do not succeed
Avatar 6:37pm
Davee:

GET WITH IT PEOPLE USE YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES
Avatar 6:37pm
Linda Lee:

incremental elimination of personal space altogether, down to one's physical traits. what sh*t.
Avatar 6:37pm
Davee:

THE COORPORATE ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE
Avatar 6:38pm
Linda Lee:

i can't imagine a more efficient dystopia .. based in consumer desire.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:38pm
coelacanth∅:

Dean i checked that out Thank you! that's probably it (although it doesn't mention beets; but there're likely variations on it...or i just THOUGHT there were beets in it because of the color)
  6:38pm
Dean:

Beg to differ: the introduction of GUI as the default interface disturbed some of us. Maybe not "creepy," but not salutary.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:38pm
Michael 98145:

I am pissed when a small business does not succeed and the location becomes -another- major bank branch
Avatar 6:39pm
Jeff Moore:

You're focusing on "Insanely Great" and Apple cheerleading, which may be a generational thing - Macs are fine (fine enough that they've continued to be my preferred desktop since they became real computers with the move to OS X), but I'd contend that the most important history Steven Levy wrote is "Hackers".

It's about the real history of computer geeks, as it started at the MIT Model Railroad Club. Anyone who really wants to understand computer culture's true heart should read Levy's "Hackers" and the Jargon File (the latter available online).
Avatar 6:39pm
Davee:

@Michael: HERE HERE!
Avatar 6:39pm
Linda Lee:

Michael 98145 ~ this happens when there's no actual fealty to the community on the part of company shareholders.
Avatar 6:40pm
Davee:

SHOP LOCAL!!!!
Avatar 6:40pm
Davee:

not a brainer
Avatar 6:41pm
Davee:

avoid corporate crap!
  6:41pm
Dean:

Public libraries. Go back to public libraries.
Avatar 6:41pm
Davee:

ah. good idea!
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:41pm
Michael 98145:

never left them, @Dean
Avatar 6:42pm
Linda Lee:

be nice if they weren't closing on us due to lack of support ..
Avatar 6:42pm
Davee:

It is too convenient to shop corporate, that is the problem
Avatar 6:42pm
Davee:

WE NEEDTO FART MORE!
Avatar 6:43pm
Linda Lee:

& if we're utterly overworked & over-scheduled & drowning in stress, we love our convenience.
Avatar 6:44pm
Jeff Moore:

[Before OS X, Macs were just shiny toys for people who like to draw pictures. Around the same time, Sun workstations already existed and and were built on a far more solid software foundation.]
Avatar 6:45pm
Davee:

I think we need a toaster that can toast 24 slices of toast
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:45pm
Michael 98145:

embrace the WFMU-ness
  6:46pm
Dean:

Re: burdensome regulation, I'm encouraged to see this 2011 reminiscence of Horwitz's The Irony Of Regulatory Reform: https://inpropriapersona.com/the-irony-of-regulatory-reform/ A good book, one that often comes to mind, even today.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:46pm
Phil with the phone:

@dave it's called an oven
@everyone else we'll be taking calls in about a minute, call in at 201-209-9368!
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:47pm
Michael 98145:

[ i remember being impressed by the Amiga systems ]
Avatar 6:48pm
Davee:

I'm welded
Avatar 6:48pm
northguineahills:

Loving this, thanks Mark and Steven (busy at work on one of the aforementioned machines)
Avatar 6:49pm
Davee:

I would call but u will not like what I have to say
Avatar 6:50pm
Linda Lee:

neural interface. god help us.
Avatar 6:51pm
Linda Lee:

leave me the hell alone with that. stay out of my goddamn brain.
Avatar 🤖 Swag For Life Member 6:52pm
Ken From Hyde Park:

Lovely, your AmazonBrain® will order stuff as you think of it.
Avatar 6:53pm
Linda Lee:

i've never been happier to be 60 years old & on my way out. this is disgusting.
Avatar 6:53pm
Jeff Moore:

Microsoft Windows, on the other hand - is the answer to a question nobody ever should have asked.

("Can we take this simple CP/M-ripoff program loader and staple a graphical user interface on top to create a fragile and ugly top layer which will fool people into using it instead of already-existing far better other platforms?")
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:53pm
Michael 98145:

[ Alexa, what am i thinking? ]
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:54pm
coelacanth∅:

there are so many weak people out there who have been convinced this is a good thing.
Avatar 6:54pm
Linda Lee:

thought-crime becomes a real thing now.
  6:55pm
Dean:

Why such technolust? I blame Star Trek. I remember a profile of Marvin Minsky in New Yorker c.'81. I read the thing then and came away with the sense that he was creepy. Since then, of course, proponents of AI distance themselves from the technology's founding, and for good technical reasons, I'm sure. But the weird pipe dream mentality that drives popular promotion of this stuff is insufferable.
Avatar 6:55pm
northguineahills:

Well said, Jeff.
Avatar 🤖 Swag For Life Member 6:55pm
Ken From Hyde Park:

Virtual reality money: the Bitcoin.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:56pm
Michael 98145:

PK Dick was a Prophet
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:56pm
coelacanth∅:

they've already got the telescreens in every home. the people have voluntarily installed them. (they even take them where they go)
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:57pm
Michael 98145:

thanx again, Mark H
Avatar 6:57pm
Linda Lee:

exactly coelacanth! now it's proven, we'll line up to buy just about anything they properly sell us.
Avatar 6:58pm
Jeff Moore:

This flew by!
Avatar 6:58pm
Linda Lee:

we're beyond thinking clearly, collectively. sheep to the slaughter. what a shame.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:58pm
melinda:

@Dean I agree
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:58pm
Michael 98145:

the Borg with tattoos
Avatar 6:59pm
Linda Lee:

thanks Mark.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:59pm
Phil with the phone:

I won't be here next week! Merry Christmas all, I'll see you next year <3
Avatar Swag For Life Member 6:59pm
coelacanth∅:

Thanks Mark
...i'll likely be suffering through family stuff next monday.
Avatar Swag For Life Member 7:01pm
Michael 98145:

a future made in china packaged in mexico
Avatar 7:12pm
Davee:

@Michael - well said
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