ERG Professor Emeritus is Skeptical of Geeks

[Gene Rochlin, Professor Emeritus, ERG]



Photo // Paulo Fehlauer

There's something a little off about iPhone mania. According to Dr. Gene Rochlin:

It seems as if the news media have become a wholly owned subsidiary of the internet technology complex (ITC) these days. No matter which seemingly outrageous new product or system is being put forth, it will become ‘news’ in print and online, unpaid advertising that assumes that all of us have little else to do but sit here and salivate over the next great new development, however futuristic and socially disruptive it is.

In a recent blog post, Dr. Rochlin unveils the somewhat backward message of these "geeks" selling their devices:

It is interesting to note that this is often expressed as the triumph of individuals over institutions, wrapped in a mantle of progress and development. Some of it, admittedly, does promote efficiency and social progress. But not all, and not everywhere. The creation of new social and political risks without forethought is already stirring demands for institutional control, a genuinely unfunded mandate. There is also a redistribution of wealth and privilege, instantiated by rapid obsolescence.

Read the complete post on the Berkeley Blog here.




Note: The views expressed here belong solely to the author of each entry and are not representative of the position of the Energy and Resources Group, UC Berkeley.