One step closer to Nerdvana
I can’t embed this video for some reason (I tried vodpod and WP’s built-in stuff to no avail), but you really, really should go watch it. From the Slashdot description:
Essentially, Zoetrope will allow users to travel back in time through a website, and see how the website gets changed. A user can create lenses on the website, for example, focusing on the price of a DVD at Amazon, and see how the price went up and down over the coming months. More interestingly, you can link lenses together across different websites, and for example, see how the price of gas was affected by say, the aggregated google news result of ‘war.’”
1. This is amazing. Jaw-dropping. I can only hope this was a real demo and not just a video (though I know better).
2. What is displayed in the video is one step closer to information freedom – that is, the free manipulation of information. I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot recently; the Internet has really moved people a long ways towards it.
3. It reminds me of the argument that the point of capitalism is the total freedom of capital (we could also take a shortcut and say ‘value’) from any restraints. What’s the corollary term – and more importantly – effect of something similar for information in general? (Bearing in mind the closer we get to total freedom for capital the worse off human beings have become.)
There’s more on the Tech Review site.
Tags: tech
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December 8, 2008 at 9:03 pm
[...] Dennis, who calls this “One step closer to Nerdvana,” this video at Technology Review, which [...]
December 9, 2008 at 9:31 am
That is an amazing statement to assert that “…the closer we come to total capitalism the worse off people have become.” What possible evidence could you have for that comment – other than idealist communistic views? The reality is that the freer capital markets are, the wealthier, healthier and happier people are (read some history). It is state -controlled economic systems that stifle people’s freedoms and opportunities; witness communism, feudalism, fascism, and theocracy to cite a few. And that is not to say that totally unfettered capitalism is an ideal either, but if we have to choose, its the best available choice (kind of like democracy).
December 11, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Communism (or Socialism) is the new Nazism for commenters. Paging Dr. Godwin…