Reasons 2016 was a great year for humanity

Re:Reasons 2016 was a great year for humanity by wagecuck on Tuesday December 27, 2016 @11:45AM (#13264150)

Even in the best of circumstances, with unlimited food for all, those people will be dust in a century. Even incremental improvements in technology will help hundreds of generations of humans going forward.

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Re:Reasons 2016 was a great year for humanity by collyw on Tuesday December 27, 2016 @11:58AM (#13264248)

Not all uses of technology ore a positive influence. HFT, NSA's surveillance are two that come to mind straight away.

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Re:Reasons 2016 was a great year for humanity by draz on Tuesday December 27, 2016 @12:20PM (#13264419)

I don't want this to come across as if I support these particular programs, but I would imagine some tech comes out through veterans and takes on consumer applications.

Does the NSA file patents? If not, usage of tech is probably enforced by the honor code

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Re:Reasons 2016 was a great year for humanity by nickpsecurity on Tuesday December 27, 2016 @01:05PM (#13264748)

"Does the NSA file patents?"

They do actually. They also get defense contractors like SAIC's holding company to do it for them then sue groups doing things like encrypted messaging. They can also slap secrecy orders on patents & block those from coming to market with that sort of thing going up since Bush-Cheney.

"usage of tech is probably enforced by the honor code"

See Snowden leaks. Defense contracting debacles. PROMIS scandal. So on and so forth.

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