No, that's not arguable, and I've read about that study before, I don't need to read it now. Considering there are more people without computers than with them, it is not arguable AT ALL that the economic impact of computers has reached its zenith. In fact, it's a stupid thing to say based on that one fundamental piece of information. When the web developers that an acquaintance of mine is training in Rwanda start building websites for local businesses, that's going to be a pretty fundamental economic impact.Zack Morris wrote: Let's talk about economic impact. You can start by reading the article I linked to. Arguably, the economic impact of computers has reached its zenith. Large-scale robotics and artificial intelligence are perhaps the only trump cards left. They could potentially have a truly enormous impact but given their track record to date, I wouldn't bet on any sort of compounding growth from machines designing themselves any time soon. If it turns out to be like anything else in computing, there will be practical limits.
You live on a different planet than I do. Where I grew up grown men had machine shops on their property, they did and still do modify their homes. My cousin/uncle has a machine shop, my best friend from HS has one, his Dad has one, my Dad has one. I know tons of people who make their own clothes, usually the best dressed people I know make their own clothes.People didn't want to build their own computers and they stopped making their own clothes a long time ago. Why would they want machine shops? To make what? The same kind of trinkets we have now. The article I cited points out that much of the "progress" in computers recently has been targeted at entertainment.
Sounds like I live in and around a vibrant startup culture and you don't. My wife's company was the first company in the world that does what it does. I was there when they were planning it around a folding table at an office where I was an intern.Sounds like you are putting too much faith in people. Have you ever considered that we already have a surplus of productive capacity? We cannot think of interesting things to do fast enough to consume all this capacity.
If we have a surplus of productive capacity then why is anyone anywhere on the planet starving or living in a slum?
I'll make sure to tell that to Adolph in Philly who built his own 3D printer and has been building some kind of strange Plasma coil in his Mom's basement. I am sure he'll be interested to know that he doesn't exist.They won't be. You can easily do that already. People generally don't want to make things in their garages.
Like I said, different planet.
I bet Stu, Demon, Nonc, Marcus, and Mr. Perfect all have some degree of machine shop in their basement/garage/shed. In fact I know some of them do because they have told me.