March 24, 2006

Moore's law as a social amplifier

The hardware world lives by the Moore's law of constant speed up. The software world is following the same trail, but there is significant difference - hardware measurably increases performance while staying on the same line. Dragster style if you like. Compared to this software is a bunch of beer cans hanging off the racer's bumper:

It makes a lot of noise. So much noise, 90% of the humanity can hear it, for God's sake.

More stuff can be added as the car's engine gets more powerful. What for ? Heck, why not ? After all, people prefer dancing pigs.

It can hardly choose the way. As the principal architecture remains the same, the algorithms remain the same, people have no need in extending body of knowledge and software thus becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It passes everything at such a great speed, there's no way to ever see what's in it. Who cares, next year pack will be better. Likewise, when you are inside the can, all you can see is wind. Speed, more speed !

Anyhow, the question here is - are people strong enough, knowledgeable enough and not the least - moral enough to deal with Moore's law, to use such a powerful engine ? Are they using it and for what ?

My answer is - Moore's law is a great social amplifier.

It gives you incomprehensible powers. And then it's up to you. Dancing pigs, be it. Just riding the can, good. Sending a billion worth of ads with a single click ? Yes, sadly you can do that. Moreover, as computers control everything, everything becomes a beer can. Attitudes change in all industries, and this is sad, as there are areas which cannot be sped up at that rate (if at all).

But !

You can always take off and observe the way where it's all going. Or may be even forget about the race and do some beer can art (that's what I personally prefer).

On average though, having more power means less thinking and more chaos. Secure about the future ?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi. I'm doing a report on Moore's law for a school report. Could you link Moore's law to the changing social behaviour and values between 1965 and 2000?