Ask HN: It's 2065 – What does history say about the software industry today? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: It's 2065 – What does history say about the software industry today?

6 pointsnotoriginal8 comments

Fast forward 50 years. What does history say?

Did we bring new heights of innovation? What are the results? Did the software industry bust? When, and how? What has taken its place? How is the west coast software culture depicted? Did the startup scene last? Is the US still a leader in the software industry? Did artificial intelligence make software workers obsolete? Did the industry's general disregard of security come back to bite us in the ass? Who are the leading companies? Are any of the big ones from today still around?

Would your answers change if it was now 2115 instead?

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The Google restructured the days of the week in 2034, removing Mondays and renaming the other days in accordance with the kolakube organization for standardization, so it's actually 2058 by a 2015 western calendar.

But, of course, that didn't happen. There was never another calendar.

Not much has changed. Oceania is still at war with Eurasia, etc etc. Worker bots get one day off a year on St Jobs' day. There was never more than one leading company. There will only ever be one : )

Did we bring new heights of innovation? What are the results? Did the software industry bust? When, and how? What has taken its place?

Self programmed AI.

How is the west coast software culture depicted?

Like surf rock bands of the 50s.

Did the startup scene last?

Nope.

Is the US still a leader in the software industry?

Are you kidding? The world's chinese AIs!

Did artificial intelligence make software workers obsolete?

Long ago, yes.

Did the industry's general disregard of security come back to bite us in the ass?

Who's us? It certainly served well AIs of spy agencies everywhere.

Who are the leading companies?

Hon Hai-Apple.

Are any of the big ones from today still around?

Nope.

Of course, this is the bad scenario. In the best case senario, it would be all different and much nicer.

What scenario do you imagine that make Google disappear within 50 years?

I know it's a long time but they are expanding so much I can't imagine that nothing will work to the point they have to die.

It's inside of us as we've finally accepted we have been augmented with it to such an extent that we are truly cyborgs but it is now planning to augment itself, with us.

It's in our grey goo and has set a course to populate the Universe before we do.

There is no software industry, just us and SkyNet.

History says 12th February 2015 was officially the day HN turned into reddit. Never forget.

"Can you believe people actually used to program in C?"

"Can you believe all our systems are still built on top of C?"

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