| Sure. Let's look at our own industry cluster. What is superficial, but denotes status among hackers? Having an expensive standing desk when everyone else sits. Having a shaved head when that's not the societal norm. Having long hair (male) or particularly short hair (female). Interestingly dyed hair for either. Extreme coffee ordering used to be a status marker; now it's widespread and isn't, so much. What was once an indicator that you lived in a rich urban core is now an indicator that Starbucks has opened a branch in your WalMart. Running a Mac when the company standard was a Windows box; running an Air when the standard was an MBP. The first generation iPhone, and for a couple of weeks, the most recent. (Then everybody else has them.) Claiming more physical space is a status marker; humans seem to be wired for that along with all the other primates. Having more space and not doing anything with it is a more powerful marker. Siri and similar voice-recognition assistants could become the new secretaries. If they improve significantly, look for an always-on version that looks for a keyword trigger and talks back through a speaker. Having an invisible servant would be a serious status marker, but only if it becomes both reliable and ostentatious. Having the quiet space necessary to do this regularly is a marker by itself. |
I like your list, but doesn't the low incremental cost of a virtualized assistant, as available to Joe Biden as Joe the Plumber, take this out as a marker?
I suspect most markers going forward are going to have to be physical things that are more rare, and frankly somewhat useless. 6 legged genetically engineered green pocket pigs with stupid haircuts and matching sunglasses kind of thing.