I’ve been trying to figure out why technology without deep consideration of social behavior drives me batty. There is no doubt that some of the best technologies emerged from tech geeks wanting to make really cool and interesting things. Of course, spending 3 years in a place that focused on inventing the next generation of cool things made me wanna curl up in a ball and die. Distruptive technologies come out of a special type of bubble… one that doesn’t realize that it’s unique or different, filled with people who are truly in love with the idea and not focused on whether it will make money or whether it will do anything or not even realizing it as a “product” so much as a “toy.”

The problem is that the technology field has matured. Most ideas that are currently being discussed are simple technologies that expect fundamental changes in social behavior. Even the software ideas that people are talking about are new renditions of old systems. Blogs aren’t new, but they’ve been repackaged. Social networking tools aren’t new… None of the social software that’s being discussed is revolutionary. It’s simply trying to solve people’s needs, their interests. Yet, what’s the value in doing so without a deep and directed consideration of the impact? Software development has reached a new stage. Tools that affect social behavior can be easily used to marginalize populations; they can be just as easily distructive as helpful. We no longer live in a society where only the most intrigued play with computer or online. Impact is widespread and thus, so can abuse be. Even old technologies, developed with good intentions have come back to haunt people in odd ways. Things have definitely changed, and not completely for the better.

Now that we’re beyond the tech boom, i find myself continuously harping on folks to step back and really reconsider what might happen when they construct their technology, particularly if it is socially directed. Kudos to those who were able to innovate and distribute amazing tools through pure passion. I just don’t think that successful innovation in that culture is justification for not really deeply considering the implications of what is created in this one. I want to be surrounded by those who realize that they have the power to construct society and want to do so in a socially minded way.

Of course, the problem is that i can’t fully articulate why i feel this way, but i’m trying to disentangle that gutteral knot that i suspect has some validity to it (in the fabric of my reality).

[This is partially inspired by Marc’s perspective on the world.]