[marcuspovey]

Absolutely, the problems are political. But there's a technological component as well.

A combined approach will, I think, have the best chance of success. We fight like hell to fix the political problem, while at the same time making sure that people have, and know how to use, the technological tools that can protect them.

It is naive to assume that just one aspect will do the job.

[mdakin]

Agreed. I also believe there is a sociological component. A situation such as we have is only possible when a critical mass of engineers/scientists/creatives/technicians consciously choose to work on anti-human technology. The political assholes could not develop this anti-human technology on their own.

[eli_gottlieb]

Admittedly, sometimes the two kinds of problem combine into just-plain-silliness.

For instance, I got my first paycheck from my internship yesterday. As in, I got a physical check, because in the middle of Silicon Valley, a high-tech start-up's third-party payroll contractor is so damn backwards that they simply can't issue a direct deposit for at least one pay period if not more.

Problem being, my bank accounts are on the American East Coast and in Haifa, Israel respectively. I now have a nice, healthy paycheck and have to call the other side of the country to figure out how to deposit it, because the damn payroll system is too backwards and stupid to do an electronic transfer like the entire rest of the developed world.

And no, my bank doesn't have a mobile app that lets me deposit checks through my phone. I checked.

/just-plain-silliness /MURRICA