A culture that thinks like an algorithm also “projects a future that is like the past,” James Bridle explains, because “that which is gathered as data is modelled as the way things are, and then projected forward — with the implicit assumption that things will not radically change or diverge from previous experiences.” In a world reliant on computation to make sense of things, “that which is possible becomes that which is computable.”
Agree with all of your points. Just to elaborate though, when I was talking about radically different systems, I was thinking of better, more transparent, ideally user-operated platforms for the short-term, but for the long-term I was thinking more about stuff like Urbit; radical re-imaginings of how a computer and an internet could function.
I've really got no deeper understanding of Urbit and I don't mean to hinge this point on that one implementation of this OS+Meshnet-thingy, but it does look like something that could grow to be something significant.
That Urbit thing looks pretty unique. It seems very esoteric though and kinda suspicious since it involves Ethereum stuff and it sounds like you can sell your urbit stars or whatever. It also sounds like the original creator is one of those weird right-libertarians or something weirder lol.
Yea, it's not really what is needed, but it certainly is something different - and I think it's at least going in the right direction.
That's the thing with all these crypto peeps; some of them certainly try to actually do cool shit with the tech. Still, it's often misguided, and it often is just an expression of how they think capitalism isn't capitalistic enough; free market radicalism and all that shit. But they're certainly building... something. It's often disgusting, usually outright predatory grift and not exactly towards any form of emancipation - but it is something. It's there, it does end up becoming something real sometimes.