Dehumanizing Technology

I remember at one time watching a TV show about a people who believed that taking photographs of them stole their souls. It was one of those Twilight Zone-type shows; the rub of it was, when the photos were developed (yes, kids, there was a time when photos were taken on film that had to be developed), the people whose photos had been secretly taken (members of a warrior tribe of some sort) came to life and attacked the person/people who had "stolen" them.

This came to mind as I was going through a tote of photographs I have taken or received over the years. As I sorted through countless pictures of tailgates and forest scenes and wondering why I had felt those moments significant enough to capture on film, I started thinking about the whole concept of photography and its effect on our humanity. (Pretty heady stuff for a snow day, I realize.)

Wikipedia will tell you that the concept of photography has been around since ancient times, but that the first permanent photograph was produced around 1826--less than 200 years ago. Not very long given the expanse of human history. That prompted me to wonder--how did we as people preserve memories--images--of the people and things we cared about prior to that?

Well, the wealthy sat for professional portrait painters, and others painted scenes that would be preserved for as long as their canvases lasted. But what about the rest of the people? How did they preserve memories? The shockingly simple answer is they talked and they remembered. They shared stories and descriptions of others who had come before them. While these may not have been as acutely accurate as a photograph, they placed an image in their minds that would not easily be erased.

And today? Hey, grab a photo on your cell phone and e-mail it to grandma. Sure as hell beats visiting her and listening to her ramble on, doesn't it?

Technology Trip-Ups

I am no Luddite, but I also feel that it is possible, especially in today's world, to be "too connected." Seriously--I don't really care when and where Kim Kardashian takes a dump. Until a few short weeks ago, my cell phone did three things: made calls, took calls, and allowed me to take an occasional picture. Recently, though, I changed phone companies, upgraded my plan, and now have a phone that actually texts (send and receives, by golly) and connects to the internet so I can blog, tweet, and update my Facebook status from, like, anywhere (you may now un-friend me if you like).

One thing I have always tried to stay current on, technologically, is music. Although I never got into 8-tracks (I was always a cassette guy--hated it when songs stopped, albeit temporarily, when tracks changed), I shed no tears when vinyl gave way to CDs and likewise as CDs give way to digital music players. First of all, I like the fact that I can have more music in less space (now I just need more time to listen to more music); secondly, my ear and playback equipment is not so finely attuned that I notice any drop-off in sound quality among digital formats.

(Note: Momentum lost in blogging due to FB conversation with friend from high school. Technology does have its merits most days.)

OK, where was I? Technology and music. Awhile back, I decided I really needed to have a portable music player--you know, one of those newfangled little pocket-size gizmos that can carry the entire music collection of the campus radio station I worked at in college. So I got a Zune--yes, the evil empire Microsoft version. Not a nano or shuffle or anything like that--even though we use Macs at work, I am still a PC guy, and, really, I don't listen to it enough to justify the cost of the Apple versions. One of the reasons is I don't like sticking those buds in my ears; I prefer the outside-the-ears headphones. I never wear one when I am running (indoors or out) or working out, although it is handy when mowing the lawn.

So another thing I did was upgrade the music player in the car. The former one was 10 years old (the car itself is 12--hey, it's a Honda) and was skipping on CDs, so I got a good deal (of course) on a new Pioneer. And this one has, of all things, an input for an mp3 player. So last night I decided to load all of my Christmas music on the Zune for my drive down to the Indianapolis area for the holidays. Wouldn't you know it--no matter how much I tried, I could not get the Zune to sync up with the computer. I plugged the cable into every USB port available, went online to troubleshoot--you name it. I was confounded. Then I remembered I had another USB cable somewhere. I found it, changed it, and, lo and behold! (I love that saying), the damn thing synched perfectly. (OK, Apple lovers--you may stop laughing anytime.)

So if there is a moral anywhere to be found, I guess it would be--when technology fails, start with the little things first. In our world of nanotechnology, the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in our microcircuitry.