Sf author, futurist, founder of the Viridian Design movement Bruce Sterling is, as usual, way ahead of the curve.
He talked about how Web 2.0 uses the Web as a “platform” for services, and then dismissed that as an “utter violation of common sense” based on the kind of thinking, translated into the financial realm, that caused the current global financial crisis, where mortgages are aggregated together and turned into a kind of Ponzi scheme platform.
But wait, there’s more!
The original sin of geekdom is to think that just because you can think algorithmically and impose it on a machine that this is disembodied intelligence. That is just rules-based machine behavior. Just code being executed. Sure it’s an art and science. Calling it intelligence is dehumanizing. It makes you look delusional, sad and pathetic. It’s like being an old woman whose only friends are cats. Also, collective intelligence is not your friend. Just as markets aren’t your friend. They’ll jerk you around.
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His new book, Caryatids, has just been published.
I call bullshit. It looks like he’s just knocking down stupid corporate buzzwords YEARS(!!!) after the likes of Chris Brogan and Jeff Pulver did it.
It actually reminds me of when really polished, studio rappers put songs on their albums addressing “all tha hataz and my enemies” as if they even existed in the first place. Seriously, who’s got fuggin blood beef with Timbaland? Nobody, but it sure sounds good on the record!
Same thing with Sterling’s bit. Who’s really out there doing this stuff?
“Dude, javascript is the FUTURE!”
“I know! It’s like we can stick anything together and monetize it!”
*high five*
It’s crazy talk. When was the last time you even saw the words “Web 2.0” anyway? I think Mr. Sterling is badly out of touch and it shows.
Uh, Google blog search for Web 2.0 shows a gaggle of recent entries. 🙂