You Are Not a Gadget

Jaron Lanier

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Jan 12, 2010 - Technology & Engineering - 240 pages

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A programmer, musician, and father of virtual reality technology, Jaron Lanier was a pioneer in digital media, and among the first to predict the revolutionary changes it would bring to our commerce and culture. Now, with the Web influencing virtually every aspect of our lives, he offers this provocative critique of how digital design is shaping society, for better and for worse.
 
Informed by Lanier’s experience and expertise as a computer scientist, You Are Not a Gadget discusses the technical and cultural problems that have unwittingly risen from programming choices—such as the nature of user identity—that were “locked-in” at the birth of digital media and considers what a future based on current design philosophies will bring. With the proliferation of social networks, cloud-based data storage systems, and Web 2.0 designs that elevate the “wisdom” of mobs and computer algorithms over the intelligence and wisdom of individuals, his message has never been more urgent.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - zetetic23 - LibraryThing

eye opening read. one of those books that makes you think why didn't i think of that before. and then i get to the bit where he does write about something i thought about recently. its always great ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - wyclif - LibraryThing

A fairly thoughtful book on tech policy-related issues, but I think Neil Postman does this better. Lanier is too pessimistic in his assessment of the "mob mentality" of the Internet, but makes some ...

Contents

• PARTTHREE: 117
• PARTFOUR: 149
• PARTFIVE: 175
• BFTERWDRD T0 THE PaPeReac er1T1on: 193
• BCKHOWLEDQMEHTS: 209

About the author

Jaron Lanier is known as the father of virtual reality technology and has worked on the interface between computer science and medicine, physics, and neuroscience. He lives in Berkeley, California.
 
Visit the author's website at www.jaronlanier.com.

Bibliographic information

• Title: You Are Not a Gadget
• Author: Jaron Lanier
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010
• ISBN: 0307593142, 9780307593146
• Length: 240 pages
• Subjects: Computers / Design, Graphics & Media / General; Computers / Social Aspects; Technology & Engineering / Social Aspects