Technology is great, it's us that's flawed!
We live in an era of amazing, fantastic technology. Yet we don't appreciate it.
Right now I'm sitting on front of a little box that's not connected to anything via wires, yet I can communicate with people all around the globe while watching a film in high definition, finding out what's new in the "world of events" and being challenged by friends to beat their score at a selection of free online games. Next to me is a cellphone, and while its primary function (talking to people) might be a technological throwback, it too is an amazing bit of kit. I'm surrounded by a vast array of other "shiny" bits of kit, all of which do something that only a few years ago couldn't have been dreamt of as possible.
However, as soon as any of this kit lets me down, even if it's in a small way, for only a few seconds, it's "Teh Suck" or an "EPIC FAIL."
Wow, how quickly the world owes me something!
But it's not just me. All this marvelous, wondrous, magical technology seems to have an uncanny ability to bring out the worst in most people. Things are too big, too small, too slow, too fast, too simple, too complicated, too cheap, too expensive. The manual is too thin, or too thick. You have to install updates. A new version is out. The device or service isn't 100% reliable (99.9% just won't do ...).
...
And on and on and on it goes ...
Cellphones seem to be a popular target for criticism. I've noticed that when someone buys a new cellphone there's a brief period where they're happy with their new toy. A honeymoon period. After this initial "love in" all the flaws and issues with the cellphone are systematically uncovered and the owner is fast looking to a new toy.
It's not just software and hardware that does this to us, services induces it too. We have access to hundreds of fantastic online services that cost us nothing and are very reliable (thing Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Windows Live Messenger ... ) and yet if that particular site or service isn't available the second that we want it, it sucks. Period. No consideration is given to past service, overall levels of service and how much we pay for the service (usually nothing). We complain when in reality should be on our knees thanking people who are smarter than we are for making something available to us for free.
How quickly we feel owed ...
We're surrounded by fantastic technology, but we're too busy criticizing it to appreciate it. Well, I for one want to make amends.
"Technology, we might not always see eye-to-eye, and we might have the odd falling out, but I love you. I really do. Thanks for all you do for me!"