final exam rhetoric in cyberspace

Motivated and Un Go Head-to-Head

I argue that these characters are predominantly self-motivated – even the researchers, who are getting paid: they have a love for finding information, and that has monetary value to someone else. The hackers really are like explorers, who explore simply for the sake of knowing what’s out there. Neal Stevenson is someone I call “The Man,” because he’s multitalented and has written both fiction and nonfiction that we have seen in this course.

On the other hand, we have also seen people who have not been so motivated. The characters in Cryptonomicon, Stevenson’s own book, seem unmotivated, apathetic, and cynical (from what I gather from the presentation). The ultimate in unmotivated and cynical is probably Mike Daisey, author of 21 Dog Years. He seems like a super slacker instead of a super searcher – he scrapes by and more fascinated by office supplies (which I also enjoy) than work. MD would probably agree with the writer at the Slackers Guild - who knew there was one? A great quote from the entry: "I hate knowing this stuff because it is all overly complicated and takes up space in my brain, distracting me from the rest of daily life." In Daisey's defense, does his stressful work environment turn him into a slacker in order for him to protect himself? Perhaps. But shouldn’t he still be motivated by something? It seems like information technology has helped the overall work/productivity situation, but it can’t really change people. People haven’t become any more robot-like, and people also have physical, psychological, and personal limits as to how hard they are willing to work. Information tech has changed the environment that people work in, but I don’t think it’s improved people very much at all.

I have to say as an endnote that I really have been thinking a lot about Life Without a Net, especially since it's the first time that I feel I really needed the internet and computers to finish my work (these posts) and couldn't because my connection has shut down at the University Village where I live, and the labs are either full or closed. This has been the first time where I have felt completely incapacitated - there might as well be no electricity!

posted by SB | BS @ 6:18 PM