Challenge accepted! Some things that I think are underbelieved among my peers and are generally optimistic:
Technology, both defined broadly and the specific instantiations AppAmaGooBookSoft and the ecosystem the birthed them, is overwhelmingly a force for good in the world.
The Internet allows people a tremendous amount of leverage, and skill at exploiting that is not equal. That said, it is a great leveler with regards to baseline experiences in society. (Instant communication. Google. Wikipedia. I could go on, for years.)
Software primarily redeploys knowledge workers between job duties rather than eliminating jobs. AI/ML/robots/“pick the headline” mostly let Industry do lots more with slightly more headcount, not do the same with less.
c.f. Employment of accountants since we automated 90% of job
c.f. Employment of accountants since we automated 90% of job
Trivial observation: people are more mobile between nations in 2017 than they have ever been. Policy-based reactions to this are barely a blip on the graph. This is overwhelmingly positive for most people on the move (at the very least).
We now consider it a major knock on a world leader that they would give conscious thought to the possibility of ordering a nuclear strike.
Not too long ago this was literally the #1 thing on the job description.
Not too long ago this was literally the #1 thing on the job description.
Popular culture’s standards of craft, everywhere, are extraordinarily, extraordinarily high. TV commercials routinely have better FX than Star Wars did. Storytelling is often getting better, too.
And there is a Cambrian explosion happening on YouTube/etc.
And there is a Cambrian explosion happening on YouTube/etc.
Do you write software? It’s so much better than when my career started it’s incredible. Hosting is available for pennies with no commitments. You can download a (free!) fully functional environment for most mainstream options and have something minimally functional in 5 minutes.
Uber/Lyft/etc are competing against McDonalds with this sales pitch: “No boss ever yells at you. You pick your hours. Want to pick your kid up at school or feel sick? No worries, log off. You’ll have a job tomorrow.” That is a truly excellent thing.
The amount of routine government processes which are being eaten by web applications are higher than you’d probably realize, to the enormous benefit of both constituents (not spending all day in an office) and government (efficiency gains).
We continue to replace retail locations with improved demand capture and service/good delivery via technically enabled firms, which makes things cheaper and frees up limited physical space for better things than chain retailer presences Store #6807.
Computers talking to computers are faster, cheaper, and more accurate at doing record keeping than humans talking to humans ever were, and this bubbles up in consumer experiences all the time. Air travel almost unrecognizable now that you already have the ticket in your pocket.
