Comment by Ajay-p | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Ajay-p | Hacker News Reader

I can understand the point of the article but I disagree that it is taking away from the experience it is documenting. Counterpoint: Life Logging. I remember reading a phenomenal book by @CStross called 'Rule 34' in which a policewoman essentially records everything she sees and hears, a sort of life logging. I found this to be fascinating and had hoped that it would be something I could use in the future. Record everything and not pay attention to it. Alas, it has not exactly worked out as I had hoped. Google Glass could have been that option but the reaction of many to being recorded was very, very negative.

Yet still others are trying with discreet cameras or an audio recorder, documenting life while still living life. Maybe in the future of Mr. Stross we will all have life logging.

Edit: Here is a more Work Safe link of the book series via Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halting_State

Careful searching for that book, especially if you're at work... There's a bit of an unfortunate coincidence with the title.

> but the reaction of many to being recorded was very, very negative.

Rightly so.

The lives of others aren't just data for us to unilaterally collect, to the contrary of the "beg forgiveness" big data collection philosophy of the last few decades.

I'm not sure how this is a counterpoint? "Record everything and not pay attention to it" sounds like you're not experiencing life.

Ah you perhaps misunderstood me. Record everything, do not pay attention to the fact that it is recording, and experience life in the process. Put the camera down but let it continue to record.

Yes I misunderstood, thanks for the clarification.

It's interesting to know what psychological effects that would have. For example there's some evidence that the ease of internet searches affects our memory retrieval because we know we can just look it up later. The same might be true here: faced with a choice between the slow outside world and social media, the brain thinks "well I can always look at the recording of the outside world later, but this drama is happening right now".

Reply on news.ycombinator.com