In 1811 and 1812 in the textile center of England, assorted groups of well-organized laborers and crafstmen, collectively known as the Luddites, participated in a series of sabotaging raids on the mills and factories that threatened their very livelihood. Miraculously enough, the Luddites managed to consistantly hinder the progress of the textile industry in England as well as, for the first time, create a revolutionary movement that seriously questioned the seemingly unstoppable forces of laissez faire capitalism. Though the Luddites were doomed from the start, they fought bravely for their integrity against a regiment of soldiers equal to those used during the preceding Napoleanic wars. And although there were many other variables such as food shortages and trade regulation that facilitated the desperation of the Luddites, one must wonder how close we are today to a similar occurence.
Perhaps the Luddites were right.
This space is designed for your thoughts. Personal stories, testimonies, and experiences should start to paint a bigger picture than can be imagined. If a company like "Luddite Industries" is not only feasible but even believable in our current state of "progress" one must stop and think that indeed, perhaps the Luddites were right. For in the end, what does progress really mean? And for those of you who have seen the site before; the version with the floating luddite ghosts, well it seems that there are too many people out there who's browsers were having problems with the dhtml...so we're all getting the condensned version now! But most of them thought it was a real company and said I had a good product but a lousy web site. Kinda funny. Here's some reader feedback from a while back:
David Raber writes:
I think that much of "progress" is just fine. Unfortunately, this fact leads most people to the generalization that all "progress" is wonderful, which of course it is not. What we then end up with is a situation in which we are all in thrall to "progress" (as in, "You can't stop progress!"), unable to pick and choose in any sort of half-way rational way what is really beneficial about new developments while discarding the bad stuff. Nor is Western culture any good at remembering what was good in the past: the flip side of beautiful progress is the pervasive image of a uniformly ugly, benighted past.
I think our next big challenge in the West is to get control of our future in a way that does not descend into control by an out-of-control tyranny of good intentions (as Socialism descended into Stalinism and other horrors, so that the cure was in truth a hundred times worse than the disease).
I appreciate the opportunity to spout off a bit, and I would welcome any info you might send along to me on current thinking along "Luddite" lines.
Allen Thorpe of Castle Dale, Utah writes:
I agree with the sentiments, but not the solution. We can't go back. But we can be more honest, caring, and concerned with our own responsibilities. The fault is not with technology itself, but with the way it has been used. Television, for example, can be used to inform, teach and uplift. But it most commonly appeals to the lowest common denominator, demeaning its audience and wasting time.
We are reaching the end of capitalism. Technology has expedited this but not brought it about. The problem is as much nature, i.e. human nature, as it is technology. By allowing our greed, lust and selfishness to run rampant we have polluted our air, emptied our seas and used up our resources.
This is not something that governments can remedy. The only answer I can see, although I doubt that it will work, is persuasion. But try to convince Bill Gates that it is immoral to amass more than one's needs, to compete by damaging others rather than by excelling, to dominate rather than cooperate. And try to convince everybody else that they should forego the "American Dream."
And then, there are others who write:
I love the idea of a wodden keyboard or mouse.
Please send info when available.
Thanks!
Dear Luddite,
Can't seem to get those nasty scratches off my hardwood disks(HDs). Have tried natural soaps and pastes, even ginger root broths (my grandfather's favorite), to no avail. Maybe I need to use chamois cloth to avoid static? Any help appreciated.
Luddites unite!
How much would an average Luddite system cost? For example:32 MB RAM,166 MHz Pentium MMX,Processor,2.16 GB HD,3Dfx VooDoo Card,14" visible Monitor,Ergonomic "Natural",Keyboard. If this is a subpar system or there is some other flaw, substitute any component as needed. Ê Thank you for your time.
Are you for real?
Please send me prices on a G3 300 mhz 128 mb Mac done in Alaska Yellow Cedar. Clear, straight grain music instrument quality wood only. Obviously I would want a 17" trinitron monitor to match the computer. What contrasting woood would you suggest for the keyboard?
Do you have any printers?
Is grounding a problem on these computers?
Dear Ludds,
please could you send some brochure material (printed on recycled paper) with some examples of your fine work. There is definitely a market for these products over on this side of the Pond.
Being an AT&T employee, I was fascinated by your stat about the disgruntled computer-throwers of 1987. I could so easily be there.
More Wood
Personally, I love technology. I don't think technology is the anti-human plague that the neo-Luddites seem to suggest it is. However, I don't think that it's the axis of human civilization that Wired magazine and other futurist groupies make it out to be, either. All technology really is, after all, is a set of tools -- it may shape society, but it's humanity that determines the ultimate form.
P.S.: What about a furry computer? Maybe with a plush keyboard...