Author: Bob Seidensticker

ISBN: 1576753700

In an era where there is considerable hype about the wonders of modern technology, Bob Seidensticker urges us to step back and put everything into a more realistic perspective, or, as he so aptly puts it, we should vaccinate against hype.

Seidensticker’s main theme in FutureHype: The Myths Of Technology Change is that the rate of technological change does not increase exponentially. According to Seidensticker, although we may be living in an era of rapid change, this does not mean that we are the only ones to have experienced this phenomenon. In earlier times, people had their own examples of rapid change, and to find out if our times are really unique, it is necessary to compare today’s social change with that of the past. In fact, as Seidensticker warns us, “the popular perception of modern technology is inflated and out of step with reality.”

Divided into two parts, the book first illustrates how we fall into the trap of seeing technology incorrectly and short-sightedly. Seidensticker underlines his arguments with several concrete examples that are developed throughout this first section.

As an example, we are reminded that a technology may be innovative, but the product we build from that technology need not be revolutionary, particularly if our predictions are off the mark. It must be remembered that predictions are often more a picture of the present than of the future, and there is often a danger of careless extrapolation.

The Internet may be able to provide us with a great deal of information, however, this will lead us to be better informed. Probably not, as the downside is that much of the information is unreliable and just plain rubbish!

One of the hype we are all bombarded with on a daily basis is that we should blindly trust modern technology and put all our eggs in one basket. This is all great until the basket is broken as we become more and more dependent on software that is sometimes full of bugs or where we have fragile and brittle technology. All of this has undoubtedly created much of the insecurity we feel today in our modern world.

The second part of the book looks at the constancy of change across a broad spectrum of areas: popular culture, health and safety, fear and anxiety, personal technologies, and business. We have an excellent study of the history of technology that is illustrated with stories of thousands of years of human advancement that show us that technological change is not unique to our days.

FutureHype: The Myths Of Technology Change immerses readers in a challenging study in which technology should not be considered good, bad, or neutral. As Seidensticker states: “a technology is not inherently good or bad, but it will have an impact”. The important thing is the impact, since it will have a good side and a bad side.

Bob Seidensticker has spent twenty-five years in the technology industry and holds thirteen software patents. His extensive experience is quite evident with his insightful and compelling study as he alerts his readers to the dangers of technological infatuation. He also warns us that we must never lose sight of the myths surrounding technology and the unexpected ways in which it evolves and affects our lives, while also examining its drawbacks. As his book concludes, he leaves us with a very important warning, “don’t be intimidated into buying a particular technology because a vendor, an ad, or his nephew tells you to.” Ask yourself if the product is right for you.