Geek Heresy, Chapter 3

From Geek Heresy, I thought it was most interesting when the author discussed the link between technology and relationships. The author presents two options about this relationship. In option A, the belief is that technology helps us to connect to those we would already be inclined to connect with. Option B believes that technology helps us communicate with people we would have not otherwise communicated with. He presents it as if one is correct and the other incorrect, but I think both options are true. It depends what technology is being used and what the intention is. On things like forums, option A likely applies because people are gathering to discuss a shared interest, but on something like Tumblr, option B likely applies because the casual blogger does not exclusively follow certain types of blogs. Opportunities for connections are greater because of technology. However, it is important to keep in mind that those connections may not always be positive, which the author then explores, talking about how sometimes connections cause us to be even more divided in cases like politics. I also really liked how the author talked about the privilege that is connected to having technology, which he expresses through the example of “you” raising money via social media vs. a very very poor person doing the same – of course “you” would raise more money, having the ability to write persuasive e-mails, having a richer network, etc. This was a strong example that highlighted opportunity.

One of the themes that seems to be running throughout this book is the human role in technological development and implication, and this is expressed in this chapter by the author’s questioning of technology’s ability to solve our problems. One of the examples of this is the story of Perez-Luna’s company and how he was able to detect the human issues that were responsible for the company’s issues, which helped the company avoid a costly digital solution to their problem (45). The same thing happened in the schools in India that did not have any IT support for their broken technology. I think humans are quick to accept technology as a solution but fail to recognize their own role; technology can only do as much as its creator.