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by pembrook 2174 days ago
Every single thing in Tech that becomes buzzy and popular begins with uncritical journalists fawning over the hot new thing, and ends with those same uncritical journalists thinking said thing is now evil and dystopian.

Nothing is ever as good or as bad as journalists on twitter think it is.

You can watch this pattern in literally every piece of consumer technology of the past 100 years. For some recent examples:

1999: The internet is going to change everything!

2001: The internet was a scam

2008: Smartphones are our savior!

2018: Smartphones and screen time are ruining everything

2010: Social media is going to connect the world!

2016: Social media is evil

2006: Google is the greatest, most innovative company in the history of the world!

2020: Google is an evil monopolist bent on world domination

2018: Zoom is the best video conferencing tool ever!

2020: Zoom is a massive Chinese conspiracy

2018: Lambda school is going to fix education!

2020: Lambda school is a giant scam

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.