Interview: How much do we need to know?
An interview with Bill Joy, founder of Sun Microsystems.
Sorry Bill, but I disagree with most everything you said.
Let me put it this way. Say you have 2 groups of kids with toys. One group has a few kids with nearly all the toys, the other with toys abundant for all. Which will fight more over toys? Which will be more devious in stealing toys and even hurt others to get the toys?
It will be the first group, with only a few kids who control nearly all the toys. Why? Because of the imbalance of control. Those who have more control over others will use it, it's that simple, and technology is control.
When you regulate knowledge and technology, you create an imbalance, and the only thing that nature abhors more than a vacuum is imbalance. Nature favors equilibrium over all.
Want history to prove it? How about America. The colonists had guns, the Native Americans had bows and arrows (in the beginning). Guess what, conflict, war, bloodshed. Or what about Cortes. Cannon and muskets against wooden swords! Outrageous amount of bloodshed.
The Cold War. Two civilizations with almost exactly the same amount of technological gadgetry. No blood and only tension.
The more you try to bottle up the risks, the more devestating they become when they do happen. Policy works only when people know they can't easily beat each other or one party realizes they are hopelessly overpowered.
I think we will find that the more free we are with our technology and information we will take on more risk but less danger. You are giving power to everyone, but you're also giving power to everyone. It's the difference between only bank robbers and cops having guns and everyone having guns. Who's gonna just walk into a market and say, "give me your cash!" then?
If you hoard information you have to worry about access codes, cryptography, keys etc. And no matter what you do, no system is completely secure. On the other hand, if nearly all info is free what is someone going to do, display the info?!
People only attack and/or do criminal things only if they're crazy or feel they have an edge. Remove the edge and you remove 90% of all the junk that goes on (maybe more), then you just have to deal with the people who are completely irrational.
Anybody disagree?
Sorry Bill, but I disagree with most everything you said.
Let me put it this way. Say you have 2 groups of kids with toys. One group has a few kids with nearly all the toys, the other with toys abundant for all. Which will fight more over toys? Which will be more devious in stealing toys and even hurt others to get the toys?
It will be the first group, with only a few kids who control nearly all the toys. Why? Because of the imbalance of control. Those who have more control over others will use it, it's that simple, and technology is control.
When you regulate knowledge and technology, you create an imbalance, and the only thing that nature abhors more than a vacuum is imbalance. Nature favors equilibrium over all.
Want history to prove it? How about America. The colonists had guns, the Native Americans had bows and arrows (in the beginning). Guess what, conflict, war, bloodshed. Or what about Cortes. Cannon and muskets against wooden swords! Outrageous amount of bloodshed.
The Cold War. Two civilizations with almost exactly the same amount of technological gadgetry. No blood and only tension.
The more you try to bottle up the risks, the more devestating they become when they do happen. Policy works only when people know they can't easily beat each other or one party realizes they are hopelessly overpowered.
I think we will find that the more free we are with our technology and information we will take on more risk but less danger. You are giving power to everyone, but you're also giving power to everyone. It's the difference between only bank robbers and cops having guns and everyone having guns. Who's gonna just walk into a market and say, "give me your cash!" then?
If you hoard information you have to worry about access codes, cryptography, keys etc. And no matter what you do, no system is completely secure. On the other hand, if nearly all info is free what is someone going to do, display the info?!
People only attack and/or do criminal things only if they're crazy or feel they have an edge. Remove the edge and you remove 90% of all the junk that goes on (maybe more), then you just have to deal with the people who are completely irrational.
Anybody disagree?
posted by Phil at
6:23 PM
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