The great lie of technology: How innovation is overrated (opens in new tab)

(unacknowledgedlegislation.com)

17 pointsyotamoron3y ago9 comments

9 comments

>Wisdom is the opposite of efficiency. It is the opposite of a solution. Wisdom will not make your life more comfortable.

Wisdom is a distillation of knowledge from the past and present. Wise choices about where to put your efforts, will greatly increase your chances of reaching your goals, and finding satisfaction.

mbrodersen3y ago

We all depend heavily on “non-innovative” technology to survive. Think farming, energy production, transportation etc. Consistent reliable execution is what matters.

t6jvcereio3y ago

Innovation is only overrated in the world of software engineering. In everything else innovation is everything.

tuatoru3y ago

Yup, innovation has been overrated for thousands of years. Writing destroys people's memories. Chimneyed fireplaces allow people to stay inside for longer, making them soft and weak. Better crop rotation and better ploughs make peasants lazy. Spinning wheels allow even poor people to own two shirts! Etc., etc.

yotamoronOP3y ago

This is not what the article is saying. No one in their right minds will argue that innovation is totally unimportant, obviously there are many innovations that made all our lives much better. The article is not saying that innovation is all good or all bad. Surely innovation has helped humans and will help us until the end of time - its just not the answer to some classes of human problems.

t6jvcereio3y ago

A useful innovation would be that you learn how to read.

JohnFen3y ago

Innovation isn't everything in any field. It's important, but so is a lot of other factors.

Silicon Valley tends to fetishize and abuse the idea of innovation, often to the detriment of everyone. "Innovation" is used as a cover for all sorts of bad actions.

mbrodersen3y ago

Not at all. Consistent effective execution is what matters for most things. Farming is 1000x more important than “innovative” software development. Without farming we would all be starving and dying.

thomassmith653y ago

(2016)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

9 comments

mikewarot3y ago

>Wisdom is the opposite of efficiency. It is the opposite of a solution. Wisdom will not make your life more comfortable.

Wisdom is a distillation of knowledge from the past and present. Wise choices about where to put your efforts, will greatly increase your chances of reaching your goals, and finding satisfaction.

mbrodersen3y ago

We all depend heavily on “non-innovative” technology to survive. Think farming, energy production, transportation etc. Consistent reliable execution is what matters.

t6jvcereio3y ago

Innovation is only overrated in the world of software engineering. In everything else innovation is everything.

tuatoru3y ago

yotamoronOP3y ago

t6jvcereio3y ago

A useful innovation would be that you learn how to read.

JohnFen3y ago

Innovation isn't everything in any field. It's important, but so is a lot of other factors.

Silicon Valley tends to fetishize and abuse the idea of innovation, often to the detriment of everyone. "Innovation" is used as a cover for all sorts of bad actions.

mbrodersen3y ago

thomassmith653y ago

(2016)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse