Gladwell: I'm a skeptic. We've been replacing human labor with machines for getting on to 200 years now. Someone needs to convince me why the current automation revolution is any different from the numerous automation revolutions that have come before. A lot of the scare mongering that occurs over this issue seems to me to come from people who aren't reading their history.
I think he shouldn't rely on history so much - although, skepticism is warranted.
Technology changes history and historical patterns - computers, anyone?. Looking back on history and thinking the exact same thing will happen the same way is an over simplification of the complexities of economics and society. It is just as silly as the folks who say automation is going to replace all workers.
In the past in regards to automation, there were plenty of industries that were growing and needed human labor at all
by Anonymous Coward writes:
on Wednesday December 03, 2014 @05:11PM (#48517531)
Technology changes history and historical patterns - computers, anyone?
Computers, what? Computers automated the jobs of thousands of transcriptionists, accountants, and filing clerks. Many of the displaced found work in programming, desktop publishing, and web design, and the automation allowed massive increases in productivity. It's not fundamentally any different than displacing thousands of cotton pickers with tractors, or thousands of stevedores with container handlers.
History and technology (Score:3, Interesting)
Gladwell: I'm a skeptic. We've been replacing human labor with machines for getting on to 200 years now. Someone needs to convince me why the current automation revolution is any different from the numerous automation revolutions that have come before. A lot of the scare mongering that occurs over this issue seems to me to come from people who aren't reading their history.
I think he shouldn't rely on history so much - although, skepticism is warranted.
Technology changes history and historical patterns - computers, anyone?. Looking back on history and thinking the exact same thing will happen the same way is an over simplification of the complexities of economics and society. It is just as silly as the folks who say automation is going to replace all workers.
In the past in regards to automation, there were plenty of industries that were growing and needed human labor at all
Re:History and technology (Score:2, Insightful)
Technology changes history and historical patterns - computers, anyone?
Computers, what? Computers automated the jobs of thousands of transcriptionists, accountants, and filing clerks. Many of the displaced found work in programming, desktop publishing, and web design, and the automation allowed massive increases in productivity. It's not fundamentally any different than displacing thousands of cotton pickers with tractors, or thousands of stevedores with container handlers.