"In an essay in 1984—at the dawn of the personal computer era—the novelist Thomas Pynchon wondered if it was “O.K. to be a Luddite,” meaning someone who opposes technological progress. A better question today is whether it’s even possible. Technology is everywhere, and a recent headline at an Internet humor site perfectly captured how difficult it is to resist: 'Luddite invents machine to destroy technology quicker.'" -- Richard Conniff,
"What the Luddites Really Fought Against"
STTA
- What is your understanding of the term luddite? Do you agree that it has become largely a perjorative term?
- Do a bit a research including reading Conniff's article, and you will see that a key issue then (and maybe today) is jobs. Do you believe the commonplace notion that new technologies lead to more and better jobs for workers?
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