Captain Ludd

I must admit it openly…I am a Luddite. At least, I believe that new technologies are best approached with caution. In its original form the Luddite philosophy had a great deal to do with the belief that automation was actually a moral aberration….the ability of the fat cats to avoid the responsibility nabobs have to labor. For me, the distrust of technology has more to do with the fact that today’s technologies are a royal pain in the ass.

Yes, this is pedestrian and I make no excuse. A simple example is operating as I write this blog. As I try to move the cursor to make a correction, the cursor lands like a drunken bee upon the word I want to correct and promptly defines it, as if I have no understanding of the word THE. Too much help. I am as yet unable to disable the dictionary feature and so I am getting definitions for words that are normally understood by age six or sooner.

Look, I want my medical records to zip around the world in nano seconds whenever and wherever they are needed but I do not want to communicate with others by selecting a daisy chain of emojis. Perhaps the facility of communication is a moral abrogation allowing us to talk without thinking. Of course, the worst area in the horrible landscape is the password creation swamp. They don’t believe you when you set it. Confirm password is designed to prove you’re not a bot of some sort or another. A good friend shared my favorite password to date: Titanicallypissedoff2015! Makes sense.

My passwords have nearly exhausted all of Napoleon’s battles and many of the wildflowers of the western states as I cast about for a key that is not, “already in use.”

The original Luddites were known for throwing wrenches and wood blocks into the automatic wool weaving machines and I have come close to discovering how far I can throw the average laptop. There seems to be little recognition of the fact that the incredible speed and reach of the internet also allows your stupidest thoughts to have amazing impact and incredible coverage. Silence is no longer golden.

Don’t even let me get started about self-driving cars.

Well, being able to have a decent stir fry delivered directly to your gaping maw is-no- doubt- a good thing. I better order now before I take this rant too far. Hope they recognize my account.