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allegraanne's review against another edition
4.0
A phenomenally interesting book, and one that's interesting to read with 12 years of hindsight on many of its predictions and concerns.
sabbatical_jaer's review against another edition
4.0
Lanier proposes a new generation of humanism, opposed to the quest for singularity that many technologist are pursuing.
Lanier’s influential role in the early days of the internet and digital technologies and the fact that he personally knows so many of the people that created the fundaments of our current digital world make his ideas very respectable and valuable.
He presents interesting concepts and draws parallels between language development, neoteny and cephalopods in order to present his ideal of digital humanism. A world where we are not working towards our own instinction that singularity inevitably will bring, but a world where technology will help us to deepen our understanding of the concept of ‘meaning’.
Cuz that is what seems to separate us from machines so far: the understanding of meaning.
Lanier’s influential role in the early days of the internet and digital technologies and the fact that he personally knows so many of the people that created the fundaments of our current digital world make his ideas very respectable and valuable.
He presents interesting concepts and draws parallels between language development, neoteny and cephalopods in order to present his ideal of digital humanism. A world where we are not working towards our own instinction that singularity inevitably will bring, but a world where technology will help us to deepen our understanding of the concept of ‘meaning’.
Cuz that is what seems to separate us from machines so far: the understanding of meaning.
brizreading's review against another edition
4.0
I tend to be leery of computer geeks waxing philosophical about social contracts or economic systems, usually because there's something so strangely entitled about them as a group. Why does being a hacker make you understand democracy and freedom better than everyone else? I'm looking at you, Anonymous. Is it just because you can bully others into hearing your viewpoint, because "information should be free!" is so simple a rallying call and Bank of America is so easy to hack? Anyway. Jaron Lanier is not a hacker from Anonymous. But he does suffer from that computer geek cheekiness of thinking he knows what's best for society. I guess he would argue that that's because the internet is swallowing up all our lives, society is moving online, and poorly-designed softwares/websites are locking us into behavioral grooves that devalue us as human beings (i.e. living only in a way that is filterable into Facebook status updates). This part of his argument, I can agree with. The part about how we should establish financial systems and online payment, I get a bit fuzzy on. But apparently he took all of that from early 90s Ted Nelson, so I may seek some answers there. Overall, though, Lanier offers an important alternative to the slightly crazy-eyed techno-utopianism of Singularists and Creative Commonsists and BoingBoing readers. Of which I am one, if not completely zealously. It's refreshing to see that, yes, there is Another Way.
jenturner's review against another edition
Too stupid for this book :( Maybe I'll understand it better second time around..
wakeupmagz's review against another edition
1.0
I love listening to Jaron Lanier speak about the internet and our digital culture (I could and have listened to his lectures on YouTube for hours), but "You Are Not a Gadget" was difficult to get through, particularly because his arguments/examples were so weak. It's a shame, seeing as I loved "10 Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now". 1/5.