Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 2 Questions/Comments"

I find it interesting that Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia originally was so opposed to manufacturing advancements. He says, “I doubted whether our labor, employed in agriculture, and aided by the spontaneous energies of the earth, would not procure us more than we could make ourselves of other necessaries” (Smith and Clancey 118).  Jefferson did not want America to become like industrial England and have to face all of the societal problems that accompany industry.  However I think there is a difference between some of the more necessary uses of manufacturing that Jefferson was opposed to and the technological advancements made today.  For example, my friend loves his iPad.  He uses it more than his phone and his laptop combined.  And I admit it is a nice piece of technology.  However, I do not believe that Americans would have really suffered if the iPad had not been invented.  Jefferson was opposed to factories that would create more life essentials, e.g. clothing, metals, grains, etc.  Finally he realized that factories would make America more independent from Europe which was important following the Revolution. ~Samantha W.

I find it interesting that Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia originally was so opposed to manufacturing advancements. He says, “I doubted whether our labor, employed in agriculture, and aided by the spontaneous energies of the earth, would not procure us more than we could make ourselves of other necessaries” (Smith and Clancey 118).  Jefferson did not want America to become like industrial England and have to face all of the societal problems that accompany industry.  However I think there is a difference between some of the more necessary uses of manufacturing that Jefferson was opposed to and the technological advancements made today.  For example, my friend loves his iPad.  He uses it more than his phone and his laptop combined.  And I admit it is a nice piece of technology.  However, I do not believe that Americans would have really suffered if the iPad had not been invented.  Jefferson was opposed to factories that would create more life essentials, e.g. clothing, metals, grains, etc.  Finally he realized that factories would make America more independent from Europe which was important following the Revolution. ~Samantha W.

== Leo Marx's "The Machine" ==

== Leo Marx's "The Machine" ==

I found the idea of technological expression very interesting – the idea that the type of technology one chooses to own can actually convey aspects of their personality seems to be very relevant to our modern world of infinite technological gadgets we can choose to buy or leave on the shelf. For instance, a person whom doesn’t own a cell phone or a computer might be trying to communicate something to society about their willingness or lack thereof to participate in modern communication practices. The same might go for somebody whom doesn’t own a television; how many people have you ever might who claim to not own a television? Have you ever asked why? The answer always seems to be 1 of 2 things – “I don’t have time to watch TV,” or “TV makes you dumb, feeds your mind with banal pop culture, and I simply don’t choose to indulge in it.” By walking into a home and seeing a person with a record player, they might be trying to show their appreciation of vinyl records, and a taste for retro music equipment. The reading also discussed how Karl Marx believed the Industrial Revolution stripped many skilled artisans and craftsmen of their identity and humanity, as they were replaced by assembly lines and machines. However, does it really matter that so many artisans were reduced to being menial workers? Is it sad? Perhaps. Important? Probably not. Isn’t technology all about efficiency and innovation? Is it really important to maintain trades and crafts that humans have traditionally held for hundreds of years in the face of a greater, more efficient and productive machine? If improving and innovating technology is all about getting the job done better and more quickly, then the answer is a resounding “no.”  --Kevin G.

I found the idea of technological expression very interesting – the idea that the type of technology one chooses to own can actually convey aspects of their personality seems to be very relevant to our modern world of infinite technological gadgets we can choose to buy or leave on the shelf. For instance, a person whom doesn’t own a cell phone or a computer might be trying to communicate something to society about their willingness or lack thereof to participate in modern communication practices. The same might go for somebody whom doesn’t own a television; how many people have you ever might who claim to not own a television? Have you ever asked why? The answer always seems to be 1 of 2 things – “I don’t have time to watch TV,” or “TV makes you dumb, feeds your mind with banal pop culture, and I simply don’t choose to indulge in it.” By walking into a home and seeing a person with a record player, they might be trying to show their appreciation of vinyl records, and a taste for retro music equipment. The reading also discussed how Karl Marx believed the Industrial Revolution stripped many skilled artisans and craftsmen of their identity and humanity, as they were replaced by assembly lines and machines. However, does it really matter that so many artisans were reduced to being menial workers? Is it sad? Perhaps. Important? Probably not. Isn’t technology all about efficiency and innovation? Is it really important to maintain trades and crafts that humans have traditionally held for hundreds of years in the face of a greater, more efficient and productive machine? If improving and innovating technology is all about getting the job done better and more quickly, then the answer is a resounding “no.”  --Kevin G.