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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Perplex City » PXC: General/Updates
[LOCKED] [UPDATE] Sentinel June 04: Key Reliance
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Crane
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Joined: 30 Apr 2005
Posts: 139
Location: England

 		[UPDATE] Sentinel June 04: Key Reliance
[quote]
View from Earth: Dependence on Keys
By BRIAN ENIGMA
There is an inherent danger in relying too heavily on technology in everyday life. Here in The Sentinel's external edition, as well as a handful of other sources, we are painted a picture of a world dependent upon the ubiquitous "Key" and the various services it provides. I am not implying that technology is bad or evil--I am a gadget freak myself--just that everyone should be cautious before relying too heavily on a single device.

Single multipurpose gadgets similar to your "Keys" are not currently available on Earth. In general, people carry around a wallet for holding money, identification, and magnetic cards allowing access to remotely stored money. Small pieces of notched metal, typically carried on a loop of wire, are also carried around--our version of a "key," used in mechanical locks with designs originating in the 1700's, if you can believe it! Not all locks are mechanical, of course--some use combinations, magnetic cards, radio frequencies, or fingerprints. Often, we carry portable telephones for communication--the majority of which only allow talking and simple text messages. There are also those of us who carry around portable music players and laptop computers.

At least when carrying around several specialize devices there is not a single point of failure. Surely, this seems archaic and quaint from your point of view. "Everyone carries around that much stuff? Can't they just build everything into their phone and just carry that around?" Recognize that while we do not quite possess the technology for an everything-in-one gadget, our history with such things shows us that they break at inopportune times. Earth has this nicely wrapped up in a saying called Murphy's Law: if anything can go wrong, it will.

Taking Murphy's Law into account, we see in your "Keys" devices that, if accidentally dropped and broken or intentionally scrambled by criminals, prevent you from starting your car, paying for lunch, listening to your favorite song, or even calling a locksmith to give you entry into your own house! Might it be better to instead have separate tools, each with a specialized purpose? Eventually I will lose my wallet because such things happen. Separate devices mean I still have a phone with which I can call a friend to bring money as well as the ability to call various businesses for replacement cards. Situations like this cannot be unique to Earth, can they?

Academic pursuits that are idealistic and lofty are admittedly fun, but you also have to ensure high-tech gadgets born from such research are hardened against the circumstances of everyday life. Great similarities exist between our two worlds and many people here look up to yours as being more advanced, but I have to wonder. Eventually you have to stop searching for secret messages in every little bit of printed text and ensure people's everyday technology is reliable and robust with viable alternatives if things go haywire.
[quote]

First again to spot a new article! Yay!
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
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Violet
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Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 217

 		nice one. Bri!

PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:30 pm
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am520dj
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Joined: 18 Oct 2004
Posts: 135
Location: United States

 		um.. that would be the view from earth aritcle that was published last week.

and discussed here
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:49 pm
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Violet
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Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 217

 		Re: [UPDATE] Sentinel June 04: Key Reliance
Crane wrote:
First again to spot a new article! Yay!


bless! shows I'm paying attention too tho, doesn't it!

PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 1:42 pm
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