Posted by
Marcus G. Daniels on
Jan 02, 2009; 6:08pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Re-What-to-do-with-knowledge-tp2101042p2102578.html
Owen Densmore wrote:
> Bill Joy was ripped for his observation that new technologies are
> almost certain to be misused, and suggested the knowledge be guarded ..
For all of his reservations about the fragility of technology and the
limitations of human design, the Internet did happen. That came from
the heroic efforts of a relatively small cadre of engineers, who could
see so plainly what was needed. The implications over the last twenty
years for human communication have been profound and by in large good.
For example, the cognitive surplus in the post-television world and the
enormous economic and intangible benefits of that. Certainly by the
time there were viruses on the internet there were also people that
could disassemble and disable them.
I think the same will be true for robotics and genetic engineering.
The malevolent users of the technology will be relatively ignorant and
inexperienced compared to the creators of it. The creators will have
already witnessed and contemplated the many ways in which things can go
wrong.
Marcus
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