Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
Comics’ problem is that there’s no real leadership from the big names?
I’d say actually this is a problem in a lot of media. No one takes chances, everyone is comfortable, and no one is really leading towards something. There are times leadership is bottom up.
Do you feel like leading?
– Steven Savage
Well OK I guess this IS a trend. Are Links back? Probably.
Culture:
Hackers of the renaissance. The hacker ideal is older than we’d expect. OK, actually the hacker ethic got named later, but you get the idea. Filled with amusing information.
Technology:
Samsung to introduce a watch-phone. Dick Tracy jokes aside this is kind of interesting. I think the smartwatch idea is probably a wash, but as a phone replacement/integration I can see some possibility and I have faith in Samsung.
Patch starts its layoffs. No one is surprised.
– Steven Savage
Well worth reading. Rough summary, SF has diverged from “Competence Porn” – the joy of seeing smart and skilled people do smart and skilled things. I agree with the thesis that this has happened, but not his explanations. In fact I probably need to analyze this for awhile before I can coherently state my own theories.
However, I think there’s something here. Maybe it’s just my age, but for me my SF heroes were always, well, competent. Scientists and adventurers with names like Dick Seaton (oh, E.E. Smith . . .), Danny Dunn, Tom Swift, John Carter. Even Luke Skywalker, a bit niave, was a fast learner – but then again *I* mostly wanted to be Han Solo or Obi-Wan, so maybe I don’t care.
Something to think over.
Also I am so using the term “Competence Porn.”
(Edit: I put in the wrong link. Ironic that.)
– Steven Savage