He has some interesting thoughts that might benefit some here; I know if I could summon enough willpower would certainly do me a lot of good. Worth a read.

>>Does blindly accepting new technologies into our lives really make us better off? It’s a question we barely bother asking ourselves. We constantly accept and upgrade new gadgets and ways of doing things, fearful of being left behind by an age that’s accelerating faster into the future than ever before.

Brende first started questioning the value of technology as an early teen, when his dad got hold of a Brother word processor – one of the first on the market. The size of a wall safe, this machine promised to save time for his dad as he wrote articles for psychiatric journals.

“Once he got that device,” says Brende, “I almost never saw him again. It sucked all his time. It wasn’t just the fact that it was hard to figure out, it was the very idea of being able to revise your articles so easily. So he just started endlessly revising them, he was fascinated with this device. And I felt upstaged, I felt like I’d been replaced. I resented that machine. At some deep level, I felt like at least some of the attention that should have been directed to me was lavished on this machine.”<<

https://newatlas.com/remarkable-people/eric-brende-interview-technoskeptic-happiness-technology/

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

sibeen said:

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

I pity the foo!

sibeen said:

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same. Sort of like cartoons with live actors. Everybody cruising in their roles, cashing the pay-cheques, going with the flow.

captain_spalding said:

sibeen said:

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same.

this.

party_pants said:

captain_spalding said:

sibeen said:

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same.

this.

Is that the one with Mr T(epid)

party_pants said:

captain_spalding said:

sibeen said:

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same.

this.

They used a lot of Ruger .223 Mini-14s, i remember.

captain_spalding said:

party_pants said:

captain_spalding said:

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same.

this.

They used a lot of Ruger .223 Mini-14s, i remember.

I’ll take your word for it. I’m not much of a gun enthusiast to know makes and models.

Tamb said:

party_pants said:

captain_spalding said:

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same.

this.

Is that the one with Mr T(epid)

Yes. He played the character B.A. Baracus.

Tamb said:

Is that the one with Mr T(epid)

yep

party_pants said:

Tamb said:

party_pants said:

this.

Is that the one with Mr T(epid)

Yes. He played the character B.A. Baracus.

Ta.

I don’t have an excessive amount of technology. None of the handheld gizmos, just an old-fashioned desktop computer with a decent audio interface, speakers, microphones, printer. Cubase Artist. Old version of Photoshop.

Digital camera. TV that I rarely watch, ordinary cordless phone for netphone. Ordinary kitchen appliances, washing machine.

I do spend too much time on the internet but it’s easy enough to ration it. I’d like to do some more woodwork and will probably get around to that next year, if I can renew the lease here (there’s a workshop with a bench and vice but I need to buy more tools + wood).

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

At some point in your life, you lived without internet.

Divine Angel said:

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

At some point in your life, you lived without internet.

indeed.. my first modem was a 300 baud modem – slow enough to be able to read the characters as they appeared across the screen

however that kind of life is not one to which I’d like to return.

Divine Angel said:

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

At some point in your life, you lived without internet.

Yes, but then I had a wife & my health. Now I have neither.

Technology is cool.

This thing on my thyroid used ultasound to diagnose. 3D imagery can show unborn babies from all angles. Yay medical technology!

Writing historical fiction is easy with the internet. Trove is the best resource ever.

Even writing on a laptop or ipad is easier than handwriting everything.

GPS to find where I’m going. The ability to order food if I couldn’t leave the house. Google/Alexa/Apple things to turn on lights etc are definitely improving quality of life for disabled people.

I love that I’m basically able to find out anything, pretty much immediately.
It is sad that the culture of willful ignorance has not evaporated but that’s not a problem caused by the internet.

Divine Angel said:

Technology is cool.

This thing on my thyroid used ultasound to diagnose. 3D imagery can show unborn babies from all angles. Yay medical technology!

Writing historical fiction is easy with the internet. Trove is the best resource ever.

Even writing on a laptop or ipad is easier than handwriting everything.

GPS to find where I’m going. The ability to order food if I couldn’t leave the house. Google/Alexa/Apple things to turn on lights etc are definitely improving quality of life for disabled people.

I haven’t had to leave this village for years, since anything I need or want that I can’t get here, I can order on the internet.

I probably should venture further afield more often, just for the fun of it. But holidays cost money.

Not only does Mr Mutant have the ability to work from home thanks to the internet, without the ‘net, he wouldn’t even have this job.

Divine Angel said:

Technology is cool.

I think that almost every day, when the rescue helicopter comes to the hospital.

There’s still people alive who would have thought it impossibly wishful (i.e. crazy-talk) if you’d told them in their young days “one day, if you get hurt or sick in a remote location, they’ll be able to send a doctor in a flying machine that can go up, down, left, right, backwards, land on a very small open space, or hover in the air and winch you up to be transported to a hospital at over 100 mph/160 kmh, and this will be available to all and sundry’.

captain_spalding said:

Divine Angel said:

Technology is cool.

I think that almost every day, when the rescue helicopter comes to the hospital.

There’s still people alive who would have thought it impossibly wishful (i.e. crazy-talk) if you’d told them in their young days “one day, if you get hurt or sick in a remote location, they’ll be able to send a doctor in a flying machine that can go up, down, left, right, backwards, land on a very small open space, or hover in the air and winch you up to be transported to a hospital at over 100 mph/160 kmh, and this will be available to all and sundry’.

And don’t get me started on the lever and the wheel

Bubblecar said:

Divine Angel said:

Technology is cool.

This thing on my thyroid used ultasound to diagnose. 3D imagery can show unborn babies from all angles. Yay medical technology!

Writing historical fiction is easy with the internet. Trove is the best resource ever.

Even writing on a laptop or ipad is easier than handwriting everything.

GPS to find where I’m going. The ability to order food if I couldn’t leave the house. Google/Alexa/Apple things to turn on lights etc are definitely improving quality of life for disabled people.

I haven’t had to leave this village for years, since anything I need or want that I can’t get here, I can order on the internet.

I probably should venture further afield more often, just for the fun of it. But holidays cost money.

You seem to have plenty to fritter away.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Bubblecar said:

Divine Angel said:

Technology is cool.

This thing on my thyroid used ultasound to diagnose. 3D imagery can show unborn babies from all angles. Yay medical technology!

Writing historical fiction is easy with the internet. Trove is the best resource ever.

Even writing on a laptop or ipad is easier than handwriting everything.

GPS to find where I’m going. The ability to order food if I couldn’t leave the house. Google/Alexa/Apple things to turn on lights etc are definitely improving quality of life for disabled people.

I haven’t had to leave this village for years, since anything I need or want that I can’t get here, I can order on the internet.

I probably should venture further afield more often, just for the fun of it. But holidays cost money.

You seem to have plenty to fritter away.

Fritters ain’t free

captain_spalding said:

sibeen said:

Dropbear said:

technology allows us to “choose our tribe”.. whoever that might be…

I can only think that is a good thing.. I cannot imagine life without the internet. It would be a lesser experience for me.

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same. Sort of like cartoons with live actors. Everybody cruising in their roles, cashing the pay-cheques, going with the flow.

True enough, but they were also hilarious. I loved watching The A-Team.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Bubblecar said:

Divine Angel said:

Technology is cool.

This thing on my thyroid used ultasound to diagnose. 3D imagery can show unborn babies from all angles. Yay medical technology!

Writing historical fiction is easy with the internet. Trove is the best resource ever.

Even writing on a laptop or ipad is easier than handwriting everything.

GPS to find where I’m going. The ability to order food if I couldn’t leave the house. Google/Alexa/Apple things to turn on lights etc are definitely improving quality of life for disabled people.

I haven’t had to leave this village for years, since anything I need or want that I can’t get here, I can order on the internet.

I probably should venture further afield more often, just for the fun of it. But holidays cost money.

You seem to have plenty to fritter away.

No, tiny amounts to fritter away.

Might have a week at the seaside in a holiday cottage next year, if I can drag my brother along.

Michael V said:

captain_spalding said:

sibeen said:

Yes. I just read an article about the A-Team* over on the gran. I even read some of the comments. The internet makes my life so much richer :)

*I really cannot remember ever watching an episode of the A-Team.

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same. Sort of like cartoons with live actors. Everybody cruising in their roles, cashing the pay-cheques, going with the flow.

True enough, but they were also hilarious. I loved watching The A-Team.

They were cheery entertainment. No-one ever got hurt, despite all the ka-booms.

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

captain_spalding said:

You only need to watch one. They were all basically the same. Sort of like cartoons with live actors. Everybody cruising in their roles, cashing the pay-cheques, going with the flow.

True enough, but they were also hilarious. I loved watching The A-Team.

They were cheery entertainment. No-one ever got hurt, despite all the ka-booms.

Yes, they pointed to and added to the hilarity.

The whole enrolling-your-kid-at-school is easier with technology, I’ll tell you that for nothing.

Divine Angel said:

The whole enrolling-your-kid-at-school is easier with technology, I’ll tell you that for nothing.

WTF has that got to do with the A-Team?

> technoskeptic

A euphemism for Luddite?

Haven’t read the link yet.

mollwollfumble said:

> technoskeptic

A euphemism for Luddite?

Haven’t read the link yet.

> when his dad got hold of a Brother word processor

In the early days of the personal computer, it was said that “everyone wants a computer and nobody knows why”.

I have an idea that addiction from visual input plays a role.

Sort of a natural progression in increasing visual input through:
Hunting
Socialising
Travel
Books
Films
TV
PC
Tablet

Helps to stop wars.