J08 -- FUTURE HYPE 1
Seidensticker, B. (2006). Future hype: The myths of technology change [ScribD].
Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/book/134855105/Future-Hype-The-
Myths-of-Technology-Change
Introduction
In Future Hype: The Myths of Technology Change, Bob Seidensticker gives a strong personal view about technology change and debunks many technological myths.
An important point he makes in the book is that technology change does not increase exponentially as Moore’s Law would predict, at least not forever. Instead, he proposes the spotlight model that comes strong, but eventually fades. Seidensticker argues that because of our technological myopia we often see technology inaccurately. The main point he tries to make throughout the book …show more content…
Even though there was a couple of individuals who disagreed with
Seidensticker’s views, overall those who have read the book have enjoyed how fun and easy it was to read.
Critical Analysis
Not much information was found about Bob Seidensticker himself. Most of the sources were written by the author himself, which can be biased and written favorably. I could not find any database articles on the author, but there was one academic review on the book, which was positive. The ratings for the book on Amazon.com and
Goodreads.com were considerably high, but there weren’t that many reviews in total.
Upon doing a search on Amazon.com, the results show he has written three books. Two out of the three books had ratings higher than 4 out of 5 stars and the other with no rating
(Robert B. Seidensticker, n.d.). We do know that Seidensticker has tremendous knowledge in the technology industry due to his experiences. He was formerly employed at IBM and Microsoft, so he could definitely be a reliable source when it comes to technology. With further researching I’ve found the details of 14 patents granted …show more content…
A few of these examples were heights of skyscrapers, length of bridges, and record airspeeds (Seidensticker, 2006). All of them increased exponentially, but eventually reached a plateau. Therefore, Seidensticker proposed that instead of using the exponential model to explain technology growth, the spotlight model should be used instead. In this model the technology in the spotlight “highlights social change” and “can fade without warning and may return later” (Seidensticker, 2006, pp. 127). Instead of increasing exponentially indefinitely, this model is more realistic. By explaining all the myths about technology change out there, the author encourages consumers to pay
“FUTURE HYPE: THE MYTHS OF TECHNOLOGY CHANGE” 6 attention to what they buy and to weigh the benefits with the costs before making the decision to purchase the latest technologies. In our society today many people purchase new products because it is the latest trend and not because it provides any additional benefits. For example, how does buying the latest model cell phone benefit the consumer if the previous model owned provides the same features and functions? Another major point Seidensticker makes is that “not all technologies are equally
Seidensticker, B. (2006). Future hype: The myths of technology change [ScribD].
Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/book/134855105/Future-Hype-The-
Myths-of-Technology-Change
Introduction
In Future Hype: The Myths of Technology Change, Bob Seidensticker gives a strong personal view about technology change and debunks many technological myths.
An important point he makes in the book is that technology change does not increase exponentially as Moore’s Law would predict, at least not forever. Instead, he proposes the spotlight model that comes strong, but eventually fades. Seidensticker argues that because of our technological myopia we often see technology inaccurately. The main point he tries to make throughout the book …show more content…
Even though there was a couple of individuals who disagreed with
Seidensticker’s views, overall those who have read the book have enjoyed how fun and easy it was to read.
Critical Analysis
Not much information was found about Bob Seidensticker himself. Most of the sources were written by the author himself, which can be biased and written favorably. I could not find any database articles on the author, but there was one academic review on the book, which was positive. The ratings for the book on Amazon.com and
Goodreads.com were considerably high, but there weren’t that many reviews in total.
Upon doing a search on Amazon.com, the results show he has written three books. Two out of the three books had ratings higher than 4 out of 5 stars and the other with no rating
(Robert B. Seidensticker, n.d.). We do know that Seidensticker has tremendous knowledge in the technology industry due to his experiences. He was formerly employed at IBM and Microsoft, so he could definitely be a reliable source when it comes to technology. With further researching I’ve found the details of 14 patents granted …show more content…
A few of these examples were heights of skyscrapers, length of bridges, and record airspeeds (Seidensticker, 2006). All of them increased exponentially, but eventually reached a plateau. Therefore, Seidensticker proposed that instead of using the exponential model to explain technology growth, the spotlight model should be used instead. In this model the technology in the spotlight “highlights social change” and “can fade without warning and may return later” (Seidensticker, 2006, pp. 127). Instead of increasing exponentially indefinitely, this model is more realistic. By explaining all the myths about technology change out there, the author encourages consumers to pay
“FUTURE HYPE: THE MYTHS OF TECHNOLOGY CHANGE” 6 attention to what they buy and to weigh the benefits with the costs before making the decision to purchase the latest technologies. In our society today many people purchase new products because it is the latest trend and not because it provides any additional benefits. For example, how does buying the latest model cell phone benefit the consumer if the previous model owned provides the same features and functions? Another major point Seidensticker makes is that “not all technologies are equally