Sherharazade’s Genie of the lamp was very similar to the dreaded algorithm in that it granted wishes literally. Neither are able to recognise irony, sarcasm, humour or drunken rambling. Most of us overlay a colloquial language upon our intentions which genies and algorithmic robots also do not understand. Is it any wonder that heroic adventurers have comedic mishaps and the algorithm feeds us adverts for unwanted products?
Before school age physical toy cars, building bricks, action figures and books with big pictures occupied my attention. Later the toys became more complex, whilst science fiction stories, historical accounts and the folklore and mythology of the British isles were the reading choices. Television was a background distraction that was considered the great evil of it’s day.
It did not stop us from wanting more of it.
The first computer the primary school had was presented as a thing of wonder. When my class got its turn to play with it, I was not impressed. Typing code to wake it up and then using arrow buttons to make an outline face with dots of various colours seemed to me to be far more effort than achieving the same result with paper and a few pencils in much less time. I recall aged 10 saying that computers would never catch on, and had much the same opinion in the following decade when the early version of what someone told me when desktop publishing and the information super highway were mooted as being the future.
The early version of the internet that I interacted with at the library did not impress me much either. In a few years it would take my attention for a few hours a week. Now it’s probably a few hours a day. I often share the frustration with the internet that James Caan’s character had with the super computer in the film Rollerball. It’s too clever, and it doesn’t work how it should.
Idling the day away on the internet is entirely possible without any penalty, therein being subjected to a torrent of unwanted advertising and feed that is curated for us.
It’s more important than ever to identify deliberate intentions honestly if we are going to fight the influence of the algorhithm. Plan how they will be achieved. The algorithm will hear you. Acknowledge that whilst the distractions it suggests maybe passing interests there is a time cost in pursuing them. Is it worth it? Click the x on ads where possible, mute the ringtone and message alerts for the daily drivel and don’t impulse buy anything no matter how good the deal looks.
Maybe treat the algorithm with the distain you would a travelling salesman who knocks your door ignoring the sign that requests they pass by. Further, don’t limit yourself into the linear thinking pattern that is becoming fashionable. “If this happens, I’ll do that,” is algorhithm thinking and too shallow for everyday life. The threads of possibility are too numerous to have a complete plan for – many challenges need flexible solutions. I like to allow ideas to roll around for a while and set aside quiet time (solo road trips are ideal) for deliberate decision making. Most importantly, all the idling should lead to intentional action. If it doesn’t, then it’s time to make some changes.
See you down the road.
