Avatar photoSteven Savage

Different Times, Different Mes

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve’s Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

One of my obsessions for while has been to ask what the world could be like if our combination of technology and culture had taken different directions. In 2024 a friend said that it felt like nothing new or really good had been invented in 15 years, especially internet-wise. That has had me reviewing all the different choices and events that have led us to where we are now from a technical-cultural standpoint, and how it might be better.

So I started reflecting and asking what did I want to see? Where could things have gone different – and gone better?

That led me to some speculations of course, such as if there had been more social media regulation, or if certain technologies had becom popular at different times. But know what really got interesting?

Asking who I’d be if things had been different in the worlds of technology and culture.

This started by me imagining a world where the internet B.S. of today had never arrived – something I may write about. I tried to imagine myself in a world with different technologies, a world more environmentally conscious, a world where we weren’t doomscrolling. It was essentially writing speculative fiction in my head, but the mental exercise hit hard.

I can see how in some cases I’d have been the exact same kind of person, just using different technologies. I could see how I’d also be different a few twists and turns in the economy and I’d never have become a programmer. I could see how I’d also be the same- because I in many cases I’d still be a Project Manager, even in a semi-Solarpunk, not-quite-utopia I imagined.

Relating a possible future to a possible me, helped me grasp such trends and potentials much better.

This led me to another speculation – I began asking about what my life would be like in the case of particular technological divergences. That has proven to be a great way to understand our world the way it is and what it could be?

What if Work from Home had come early (and believe me it was seeded earlier than you think)? Or phone companies had seen things like AOL and come up with competition? What about prefab homes returning? What would it take to have technologies be different, culture be different, and what would I experience?

I find that idea of imagining “being there” really helped me understand impacts – and unintended impacts. It also helped me understand a few things about myself – such as my ability to get enthused about cool stuff even if it is kind of dumb.

I may actually write some of these ideas up and make a series of it. What can I speculate en and learn from using my knowledge of technology and history? What can I share – and what can we discuss – about possible worlds to understand this one.

But if I write it or not, I want you give it a shot. Ask about “historical divergences” you can imagine, and who you’d be if they happened. Especially if it’s about a better world – since you might be surprised at who you are even in a more ideal place and time.

Steven Savage

Superman 2025: Take All The Swings

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve’s Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

(Yep, I’m taking a break from talking about technology to talk about culture, which I probably should do more . . .)

Superman 2025 was something I wasn’t enthused about, since I’m sort of tired of superhero blockbusters. Then I saw the commercials with Krypto the Superdog and had to admit I was going to see it because that was pretty bold. Superman, whatever it would be, clearly wasn’t as ground through the marketing mill as many of the recent Marvel movies. Again, dog in a cape.

And after seeing Superman I am pleased to say it is not only good, it is one of the most, if not the most comic book movie I’ve seen. It is, much like it’s titular main character, absolutely honest about what it is, without shame or irony – but also without apology. Superman is about a man who’s just trying to be a good guy, and it’s a film trying to be a good comic book movie.

The film opens both in media res but in universe res, with a quick text intro that manages to recap the setting in a few sentences then Superman shows up with the stakes already high. It tells you to hold on to your seats, because the film isn’t really going to hold your hand but just dive right in and keep going. This means we are spared the inevitable origin story, and the film also trusts you to pick up the details even if you’re not deep into comics lore (and there’s just enough the uninformed can get most of it).

And the comics elements come thick and fast and never let up. The movie takes a lot of swings with DC continuity, and the various characters and elements of the world keep coming until over halfway into the film. The film doesn’t hit out of the park every time, to continue the swing metaphor, but it doesn’t miss anything either. Some elements of this huge comic book movie work better or are done better than others, but nothing fails – and when the story connects it connects.

There is a lot. There are multiple superheroes. There is a kaiju. There is politics. There is romance. There are twists. There are robots. There is, once again, a superpowered dog. There’s also a lot that may seem painfully timely, but some of it is only timely because we have to keep relearning certain lessons.

This alchemical mix of comic book elements could not have worked without an absolutely stellar cast. Every single member of the cast is on, handling their roles with sincerity and enthusiasm and that sells all the dense elements of the movie. David Corenswet totally steps into the role of Superman/Clark Kent, he lives it. Rachel Brosnan’s Lois Lane is strong, passionate, undaunted, and there’s a bit of her backstory that she brings to life (no spoilers). Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor glowers and chews scenery as a charismatic utter a-hole. Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific is so good that he’s a man playing the protagonist in another protagonist’s movies. I could go on, but they’re all good.

Wait, I have to shout out Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince and the Kents, who are one of the most believable takes on the couple I’ve seen. One moment they’re funny, the other they’re deep, and in all cases they’re parents. OK I’m done.

Superman 2025 has the right people to pull off all of the wild elements it tries to incorporate, and that’s why it does it successfully, if not perfectly. The film can be slightly uneven, because comic books themselves can swing between the fantastic and the mundane, but it never loses balance. Like a juggler, it keeps a lot in the air, motion itself being fuel for the spectacle.

I am still tired of big superhero blockbusters and huge big-budget movies dominating culture. But Superman felt so honest, so sincere, it was a breath of fresh air. It was a vision of Superman that felt true to the character and the ideas behind him, and it’s worth seeing – and learning from.

Get the right people, take the swing, do the right thing.

Steven Savage

But What If It’s Not Worth Doing?

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve’s Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

OK this isn’t another post on AI exactly. I get it, there’s a lot of talk of AI – hell, I talk about it a lot, usually whenever Ed Zitron goes on a tear or my friends in tech (IE all my friends) discuss it. If I was friends with Ed Zitron, who knows what I’d write.

The funny thing about AI is that it’s about automation. Yes it’s complex. Yes it’s controversial. Yes, it lets you generate pictures of Jesus as a Canadian Mountie (Dudley Do-Unto-Others?). But it’s automation at the end of the day. It’s no different than a clock or a pneumatic delivery system.

And, referencing a conversation I had with friends, when you automate something on the job or at home, let’s ask a question – should you have been doing it anyway?

First, if you get something you have to automate, should it be assigned to you? If something really isn’t part of your portfolio of work, maybe someone else should do it. Yes, this includes things like home tasks and that includes the shelves you have not and almost certainly will not put up.

A painful reality I’ve come to realize is that many people take on tasks someone else can do, and often do better. However due to whatever reason it drifts up to them and of course they stick with it. Worse, the really good people often would be better at it, and maybe even have more time and hurt themselves less.

A need to automate something often says “I don’t need to do it and I may be bad at it” and the task should move up or down or somewhere else. I’m not saying automate, it, I’m saying reassign it – to someone that may automate it anyway, but still.

Secondly, and more importantly, if you have a task that can be automated it’s time to ask if anyone should be doing it period.

Anything really important needs a person, a moral authority to make a decision. You have both the decision making skills and the ethical ability to make the right decision. Automation certainly doesn’t have the ethical element, and if it doesn’t need your decision making skills . . . why are you or anyone doing it.

The task might be unnecessary. It could – and trust me I see this a lot – be the result of other automatic generation or other bad choices. It may be a signoff no one needs to sign off on, an automatic update you don’t need to be updated on, or who knows what else. I honestly think a lot of work is generated by other automatic processes and choices that could just bypass people anyway.

But there’s also the chance the task is unneeded, shouldn’t exist, or really a bad idea. Look if the task is assigned to you, a competent individual with good morals, and you want to automate it maybe it just should never have existed. Much as good Agile methods are about making sure you don’t do unneeded work, process is the same.

Whenever something has to be automated, it’s a good time to ask “why did it come to me anyway?” Because the answer may save you time automating, instead letting you hand it off, change how things work, or just ignore it.

And that’s not just AI. That’s anything.

Steven Savage