Google to sell Augmented Reality Glasses in 2012.

[eugene]

I didn't even read the description of that thing but the only "augmented reality" bit sounds fucked up imo. Like you'll be more into reality when you'll wear it. Wouldn't it actually be the opposite ? Is having an instant access to every information really supposed to make you feel better in your life ?

 

The way communication technologies are evolving just freaks me out because in the end communication will be so "pure" that we won't have anything left to communicate. Life needs time and we should better think about it before our minds (and also the place we're living) are completely fucked up.

 

I'm always overreacting against that kind of stuff but it seems unbelievable to me that everybody here is so enthusiast for it.

I'm in the same boat is you. I feel people are getting more and more out of touch with the physical world as technology progresses. I know people have been saying that for years, but seems like more and more people are staying inside because all of the mental stimulation they ever will need can be achieved through their electronic devices.

 

I know there have always been people who would rather stay inside and play Zork for the C64, but now that video games are extremely mainstream (Call of duty, dragonage, what have you) people are more likely to stay inside versus go outside and play sports. Instead of socializing with your friends IRL, you can now stay at home and facebook or something. And then stack all of this new technology on the people who have been staying inside watching TV all day for the past several decades. Whenever I walk outside I rarely see people my age anymore, and if I do they're on their phone, completely unaware of what's happening around them.

 

and why do you think this is wrong or bad ?

[sweepstakes]

I just think it's fucking embarrassing and I don't feel a need to philosophically or logically back that up.

[Hoodie]

I didn't even read the description of that thing but the only "augmented reality" bit sounds fucked up imo. Like you'll be more into reality when you'll wear it. Wouldn't it actually be the opposite ? Is having an instant access to every information really supposed to make you feel better in your life ?

 

The way communication technologies are evolving just freaks me out because in the end communication will be so "pure" that we won't have anything left to communicate. Life needs time and we should better think about it before our minds (and also the place we're living) are completely fucked up.

 

I'm always overreacting against that kind of stuff but it seems unbelievable to me that everybody here is so enthusiast for it.

I'm in the same boat is you. I feel people are getting more and more out of touch with the physical world as technology progresses. I know people have been saying that for years, but seems like more and more people are staying inside because all of the mental stimulation they ever will need can be achieved through their electronic devices.

 

I know there have always been people who would rather stay inside and play Zork for the C64, but now that video games are extremely mainstream (Call of duty, dragonage, what have you) people are more likely to stay inside versus go outside and play sports. Instead of socializing with your friends IRL, you can now stay at home and facebook or something. And then stack all of this new technology on the people who have been staying inside watching TV all day for the past several decades. Whenever I walk outside I rarely see people my age anymore, and if I do they're on their phone, completely unaware of what's happening around them.

 

I feel that I am gradually getting more and more out of touch with my generation.

 

yeah, they said the same thing when books were becoming popular. "people will just want to sit inside all day! it's all the stimulation they need in there! argh!"

 

technology changes, but humans stay the same. maybe our attention is focused on other things, but our basic needs will always be there. we'll still prefer physical proximity to video calls or whatever.

 

besides, why do you care if people are on their phone? do you wish to socialize with them? why don't you just socialize then? why do you care if people watch tv? for the first time in thousands of years, the majority of our species has something called "free time." we don't have to break our backs farming or hunting and doing menial shit just to survive. why is it such a big deal that some people want to spend it vicariously living through tv, video games, books, etc?

 

fucking weird anti-technology amish mentality. i'll never understand it.

[murve33]

@Eugene

 

I am unsure to be perfectly honest. I have always felt that being physically active is very important, keeps you healthy and such. But the biggest issue I have is everyone's slow disconnect from the physical world. This observation is based on the various groups of people I'm around (my housemates, university, my girlfriend's dorm/university, my friends in my home town).

 

Now that everyone and their mother owns a laptop/smartphone there is little need for real socialization anymore. These augmented reality glasses will allow it so that if you were never to take off your glasses (and I feel that over time there will be no need to take them off) you will further yourself from real human interaction and the natural world.

 

I also happen to have a deep adoration for nature, and it upsets me that no one seems to care about it anymore.

[sweepstakes]

I'm not anti-technology (um, obviously, LOL) but I think technology should always be a means and not an end. We should regularly question what it's really doing both for us and to us. I am starting to support the opinion that my smartphone is doing me more harm than good.

 

I think this AR stuff is kind of funny because it's basically a digital hallucination. And people are willing to pay hundreds, thousands of dollars for this. The same is true of smartphones to a smaller degree. It's also funny to me that the frictionless, formless multitouch interface is that of choice for smartphone interfaces. And now with this AR stuff it's probably going to be doing silly miming gestures. Not making physical contact with anything at all, let alone a flat surface that doesn't provide you any physical feedback beyond vibration. It all feels so detached and sterile and ridiculous and sad. I miss technology with character.

[murve33]

Hoodie, I am not anti-technology in any way whatsoever. The advances we are making are astounding, and these augmented reality glasses are amazing. It's what people use them for is what bothers me. Half the time I don't feel like people are getting anything out of being online all day. So many people are always saying "Ugh, I played minecraft/was online for 8 hours today and I feel terrible".

 

Also, replacing human interaction with creeping on facebook and texting just seems gross to me.

 

Yes, I wish to socialize with people, but I'm not nearly as interesting as the internet, and neither are the majority of people I talk to. How can people compete?

 

It all feels so detached and sterile and ridiculous and sad. I miss technology with character.

Woah, nice way of saying that.

[Hoodie]

maybe those are personal problems you both are having and not problems with our culture as a whole. creeping on facebook and texting is gross to you? lol, ok. why are you using an online forum then?

 

also, you think you're not nearly as interesting as the internet?? you're a conscious being that has had ~20-30 years of unique experiences and perceptions and thoughts. you're pretty fucking interesting, dude.

 

last night i chilled with some chick. we got stoned and talked talked talked. the entire time, her macbook was there and we would put on youtube videos or look up movies we were talking about. we listened to some music, etc etc. this is my point: technology isn't a replacement for social interaction. it's an AUGMENTATION. it adds to it. in my opinion, it's bringing people together in a huge way. you can immediately show someone what you're talking about and they can experience the same thing as you. contrast that to, "oh yeah, i saw this movie a couple of weeks ago at the theater. have you heard of it? no? well, let me try to explain it to you. also, you will probably never have enough time to drive out to the theater and watch it."

 

today, we can just google that shit and they can watch it on netflix that night. i think this is changing a lot of things, but imo the big one is empathy. more and more people are able to experience similar things with minimal effort. we're starting to understand each other better because seeing the world through someone else's eyes is becoming more accessible than it has ever been. i'm excited about the next two or three decades because i think this will be one of the few instances where, yeah, the game has changed and humans are gonna start acting differently to reflect that. or maybe we're forever doomed to be assholes, idk. i like to be an optimist.

[Guest KY]

ugh this conversation got so idm

[sweepstakes]

Mostly I mean that my attention is so fragmented. It's fucking up my memory, too. I know I'm not alone although the evidence I have is anectodal. But there's a distinctly drug-like action->reward mechanism to so much of this social interaction. Facebook in particular really creeps me out in this respect. I feel like a lab rat going through a maze to get my validation "cheese" every time I get on there now.

 

It's true that there are certain aspects of peoples' personality that I'm seeing through facebook that I wasn't aware of before. But that doesn't mean that's the "real" them. That just means that they are posting things there that they wouldn't mention in conversation.

[murve33]

maybe those are personal problems you both are having and not problems with our culture as a whole. creeping on facebook and texting is gross to you? lol, ok. why are you using an online forum then?

I never said texting was gross. I text a lot. Forums are different than creeping as well.

 

I'll think of everything else you said for a bit.

[Hoodie]

Mostly I mean that my attention is so fragmented. It's fucking up my memory, too. I know I'm not alone although the evidence I have is anectodal. But there's a distinctly drug-like action->reward mechanism to so much of this social interaction. Facebook in particular really creeps me out in this respect. I feel like a lab rat going through a maze to get my validation "cheese" every time I get on there now.

 

It's true that there are certain aspects of peoples' personality that I'm seeing through facebook that I wasn't aware of before. But that doesn't mean that's the "real" them. That just means that they are posting things there that they wouldn't mention in conversation.

 

we've actually been talking about this a lot in my cognitive science class. we were discussing the influence of technology on memory and whether or not that changes how we process things. we concluded that technology changes what we deem important and focus on but it doesn't change the systems in the brain that are used to process this information. also, in terms of memory, this is pretty interesting:

 

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/02/08/Study-Smartphones-may-help-in-memory-loss/UPI-34361328737465/

 

also, my professor mentioned a study done on facebook and whether or not people tend to withhold information or really do show their "true" selves. the results surprised me a lot--apparently, people are pretty honest and open about themselves when using facebook (comparing data found on facebook with evaluations done by peers and family). i will totally ask my professor for a link if you guys are interested in it.

 

maybe those are personal problems you both are having and not problems with our culture as a whole. creeping on facebook and texting is gross to you? lol, ok. why are you using an online forum then?

I never said texting was gross. I text a lot. Forums are different than creeping as well.

 

I'll think of everything else you said for a bit.

 

i actually talked about facebook creeping with that chick i mentioned... we both agreed that it's a totally natural human thing to want to find out information about other people when you interact with them. however, i don't have any studies to back up that thought :) it just seems like something everyone does and is slightly ashamed of because it was never possible before the advent of social media, outside of actually stalking people.

[sweepstakes]

Mostly I mean that my attention is so fragmented. It's fucking up my memory, too. I know I'm not alone although the evidence I have is anectodal. But there's a distinctly drug-like action->reward mechanism to so much of this social interaction. Facebook in particular really creeps me out in this respect. I feel like a lab rat going through a maze to get my validation "cheese" every time I get on there now.

 

It's true that there are certain aspects of peoples' personality that I'm seeing through facebook that I wasn't aware of before. But that doesn't mean that's the "real" them. That just means that they are posting things there that they wouldn't mention in conversation.

 

we've actually been talking about this a lot in my cognitive science class. we were discussing the influence of technology on memory and whether or not that changes how we process things. we concluded that technology changes what we deem important and focus on but it doesn't change the systems in the brain that are used to process this information. also, in terms of memory, this is pretty interesting:

 

http://www.upi.com/S...34361328737465/

Experts at the Baycrest Center for Geriatric Care in Toronto said their studies suggest a smartphone training program, specifically designed for individuals with memory impairment, can result in "robust" improvements in day-to-day functioning while increasing independence and confidence levels.

 

The effect technology has on your brain is highly dependent on how you use it. Given all the information-capturing facilities of a smartphone, it's definitely true that it can be an indispensable tool for recording and recalling details that human memory can't. It's also true that you can get wrapped up in some petty, lizard-brained competitive social bullshit and be stuck there all day and not spend much time doing any deep, meaningful analysis of your thoughts, feelings, or activities.

 

 

also, my professor mentioned a study done on facebook and whether or not people tend to withhold information or really do show their "true" selves. the results surprised me a lot--apparently, people are pretty honest and open about themselves when using facebook (comparing data found on facebook with evaluations done by peers and family). i will totally ask my professor for a link if you guys are interested in it.

I would like more information on that and I would also take that with a grain of salt, especially since we don't know how the tests were conducted. How did they describe how honest they were being? A simple, "how honest are you being?" It's not fun for people to admit that what they say and do is tempered by social pressures; it feels like a sign of weakness although we all do it.

[Hoodie]

also, my professor mentioned a study done on facebook and whether or not people tend to withhold information or really do show their "true" selves. the results surprised me a lot--apparently, people are pretty honest and open about themselves when using facebook (comparing data found on facebook with evaluations done by peers and family). i will totally ask my professor for a link if you guys are interested in it.

I would like more information on that and I would also take that with a grain of salt, especially since we don't know how the tests were conducted. How did they describe how honest they were being? A simple, "how honest are you being?" It's not fun for people to admit that what they say and do is tempered by social pressures; it feels like a sign of weakness although we all do it.

 

as i said, the researchers analyzed facebook profiles and compared them with evaluations done by peers about the person in question. and before you say, "well, maybe the peers didn't really know the person," i remember reading in my textbook for my personality psych class that evaluations done by family members and peers tend to be more accurate in describing a person because they're not influenced as much by the biases you just mentioned--they don't have the urge to project themselves as good people or whatever to satisfy the experimenter (demand characteristics, yo).

 

anyway, i just emailed my professor and i'll post the link up here when i get a response.

[Guest theSun]

socialization? what the fuck is this, watmm?

[chenGOD]

 

i actually talked about facebook creeping with that chick i mentioned... we both agreed that it's a totally natural human thing to want to find out information about other people when you interact with them. however, i don't have any studies to back up that thought :) it just seems like something everyone does and is slightly ashamed of because it was never possible before the advent of social media, outside of actually stalking people.

 

Yet it's also totally natural to want to protect our information and who we share it with - witness how many profiles only share limited/no info with people who aren't their friends.

[Hoodie]

i actually talked about facebook creeping with that chick i mentioned... we both agreed that it's a totally natural human thing to want to find out information about other people when you interact with them. however, i don't have any studies to back up that thought :) it just seems like something everyone does and is slightly ashamed of because it was never possible before the advent of social media, outside of actually stalking people.

 

Yet it's also totally natural to want to protect our information and who we share it with - witness how many profiles only share limited/no info with people who aren't their friends.

 

i'm not denying that. however, if you friend someone or talk to them and say, "hey, i have a facebook, look me up," you should definitely expect them to read up on all the stuff on your profile. i think very few people look up folks that they have never had any contact with and, you know, stalk them.

[chenGOD]

maybe those are personal problems you both are having and not problems with our culture as a whole. creeping on facebook and texting is gross to you? lol, ok. why are you using an online forum then?

 

also, you think you're not nearly as interesting as the internet?? you're a conscious being that has had ~20-30 years of unique experiences and perceptions and thoughts. you're pretty fucking interesting, dude.

 

last night i chilled with some chick. we got stoned and talked talked talked. the entire time, her macbook was there and we would put on youtube videos or look up movies we were talking about. we listened to some music, etc etc. this is my point: technology isn't a replacement for social interaction. it's an AUGMENTATION. it adds to it. in my opinion, it's bringing people together in a huge way. you can immediately show someone what you're talking about and they can experience the same thing as you. contrast that to, "oh yeah, i saw this movie a couple of weeks ago at the theater. have you heard of it? no? well, let me try to explain it to you. also, you will probably never have enough time to drive out to the theater and watch it."

 

today, we can just google that shit and they can watch it on netflix that night. i think this is changing a lot of things, but imo the big one is empathy. more and more people are able to experience similar things with minimal effort. we're starting to understand each other better because seeing the world through someone else's eyes is becoming more accessible than it has ever been. i'm excited about the next two or three decades because i think this will be one of the few instances where, yeah, the game has changed and humans are gonna start acting differently to reflect that. or maybe we're forever doomed to be assholes, idk. i like to be an optimist.

Sharing media is not really increasing empathy in a meaningful sense (look at youtube comments for an example). There's so much more to this than sharing media on netflix.

 

Social media is important because it allows people to communicate on broader scales, and also in depth. I gave a talk on this in 2009, (before the Arab Spring was truly underway - but it was easy to see the writing on the wall and the role that social media would play).

Basically it breaks down like this

twitter can be used for real-time transfer of what's happening at events. There was a website called almost.at which was pretty cool but it seems to be abandoned now? picturely is a good example.

facebook is great for organizing events - and it allows for in-depth conversations among people who live in disparate areas (whether or not you want to use it like that is up to you of course)

blogs are like the in-depth analysis - almost a new sort of digital library. They're not real-time, nor are they interactive in the way facebook is, but like I said, they allow the author space to publish in-depth thoughts and analysis to anybody with access to the internet.

Humans have always used new technology to promote information spread, witness the explosion of publishing after the gutenberg press was invented. The use of Xerox machines to create 'zines. Traditional publishing was a collaborative effort, and so is the new form of the spread of information - developers, publishers, and users interact to create meaningful and useful output. It's the new imagined community, and it is exciting - I totally agree with you on that Hoodie.

[Hoodie]

also, my professor mentioned a study done on facebook and whether or not people tend to withhold information or really do show their "true" selves. the results surprised me a lot--apparently, people are pretty honest and open about themselves when using facebook (comparing data found on facebook with evaluations done by peers and family). i will totally ask my professor for a link if you guys are interested in it.

I would like more information on that and I would also take that with a grain of salt, especially since we don't know how the tests were conducted. How did they describe how honest they were being? A simple, "how honest are you being?" It's not fun for people to admit that what they say and do is tempered by social pressures; it feels like a sign of weakness although we all do it.

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/is-your-facebook-personality-genuine/

[chenGOD]

Don't you kind of have to give a more honest version of yourself on facebook? Otherwise your friends/family are gonna call you out on it, no?

[oscillik]

Don't you kind of have to give a more honest version of yourself on facebook? Otherwise your friends/family are gonna call you out on it, no?

 

try telling that to the people that want to hide behind pseudonyms on Facebook...

[chenGOD]

Don't you kind of have to give a more honest version of yourself on facebook? Otherwise your friends/family are gonna call you out on it, no?

 

try telling that to the people that want to hide behind pseudonyms on Facebook...

I guess i mean if you're using your real name.

[eugene]

It's true that there are certain aspects of peoples' personality that I'm seeing through facebook that I wasn't aware of before. But that doesn't mean that's the "real" them. That just means that they are posting things there that they wouldn't mention in conversation.

i think this make the person even more real, realer than irl, it's just an alternative/additional method of expression.

[chenGOD]

technology with character.

[Hoodie]

Don't you kind of have to give a more honest version of yourself on facebook? Otherwise your friends/family are gonna call you out on it, no?

 

i think the question that spurred the research was more like "do people engage in impression management on facebook?"

[chenGOD]

I would have guessed it would be to no greater extent than in real life - the purpose of facebook is vastly different than match.com or adultfriendfinder or whatever.