re: Technology: Shall Computers be Damned? (Tor Guimaraes, Brazil/US)

On 4 November, Tor Guimaraes wrote:

Even Moore’s law will be useless if people are not buying the damned computers.

To which JE retorted:

Don’t damn our computers! Outside of a conference every two-three years, they’re the only thing that glue us together, WAISly speaking. (I’m in my Adrian office right now, looking at the Macintosh SE/30…it’s rather like contemplating Yorick’s skull.)

Tor replies:

JE is right about damning of computers in general. A few days ago I was admiring our computers/Internet for the incredible bringing together of people for business and pleasure as never before. I meant damn the computers only if you cannot afford one because you are unemployed. And, yes, they are cheaper and cheaper.

JE comments, again: I would suspect that in the US and other developed nations, computer use has actually increased during the latest recession. There are a lot of bored unemployed people surfing the ‘Net to pass the time–although many may have had to disconnect their Internet service to economize. Has a study been done on this?