I used to say the printing press was the most important invention in human history

[captain queeg]

To tell the truth I don’t remember exactly how I came to that conclusion and probably wouldn’t make that statement today. But is certainly had a huge impact and led to widespread sharing of ideas and knowledge. But look at how it’s evolved. Now we have the worldwide web which allows communication and raises the status of whoever can capture the attention of others. It’s made people rich for no other reason than their ability to influence others and has corrupted so many institutions. The free flow of info and ideas of course provides a great benefit, but the other side of the coin is that with no gatekeeper it can lead to serious conflict. I don’t know where it’s going but it feels like Pandora’s box or letting the genie out of the bottle. There’s no way to rein it in.

[Trueblue Texan]

1. If it's a tool for influence...

...let's all use it to influence the world to be a better place. Right now COVID is culling the goats from the flocks. I hate COVID, but losing the stubbornly stupid probably won't hurt human progress.

[Hortensis]

5. The Covid culling the herd thing again, tho? Deaths are overall perhaps

as many as 1 in 300, distributed across the "flocks." And now treatments are much better.

People should give that one up. GOTV is how we win.

Btw, the goat problem is not just very deeply inculcated in culture but also wired in genetically, so its effects of both nature and nurture seen to widely varying degrees in individuals. The very few who died will mostly be replaced by others born to and raised by them and their families.

We do keep advancing for other reasons, though. Like the huge, accelerating cultural changes they've been failing to stop ever since the industrial revolution, and now the internet revolution. Our older grandsons in GA and AR play online games and chat with people around the world and both of their close circles of friends are multiracial.

[ShazamIam]

2. The intern just increased the speed, printed misinformation flooded the planet, think of those

little Bircher pamphlets and the Jehovah Witness pamphlets and browsing around used bookstores, hundreds of garbage books and publications all intended to misinform and influence.

Personally, I know the internet is both a blessing and a problem, but it will shake out. I love being able to look up information immediately instead of waiting until I can get to a library.

Of course it is necessary to be able to discern the lies from the facts and vet sources and individuals.

[themaguffin]

3. I believe that there is some collective thought that it is the most important invention

[Hortensis]

4. :) I wouldn't do without the web for the world. The good it enables is magnificent.

Of course, if only we'd... These are very dangerous times.

But if it were a choice between burying its secrets and humanity's potential for all eternity in the deepest rift in the ocean or having it only by first letting it loose to rampage, I'd let it loose and leave mankind to fight and lose and fight to get control.

There are ways to limit, never eliminate, its use by the wrong people against others. We'll never be able to turn our backs on them, but then we never could anyway. And no matter how well some manage, not all peoples will succeed in defeating its weaponization against themselves, as is happening here now. Not for a long time.

Speaking of, Kazakhstan's authoritarian government had taken down the internet to control its rebellious populace. It's now allowing access in some areas back up for limited times but balancing lessened use of this weapon with ordering of the military to shoot to kill without warning.