Inside the Soul of the Web

A person watches 24 hours of Google queries scroll across a screen in real time. I haven't read something that left me this disturbed in a long long time.

I'd never thought about it before, but running a search engine is an awesome responsibility. Users look to Google the same way some people look to a god. But unlike a god, Google actually might have an answer. But it isn't really a god. Google is run by people. And people, unlike a god, can make mistakes. What happens when a person prays to Google, but the answer is a mistake? I guess even a god can't help everyone...

The Case for the Empire

A few days ago, I posted a link to an excellent sociological review of Lord of the Rings where David Brin produces a dissonant interpretation. Brin also brought in a number of parallels with Star Wars, again with a counter-argument against the Rebellion. Brin's review reminded me of an older review of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones where the author makes a strong argument that Lucas got it all backwards -- Is the Empire actually the good guys and Luke Skywalker and company just a band of evil anarchists?

J.R.R. Tolkien -- enemy of progress

One of the best Sci-Fi authors alive, David Brin, puts forth some hard criticism for Lord of the Rings.

Now ponder something that comes through even the party-line demonization of a crushed enemy -- this clear-cut and undeniable fact: Sauron's army was the one that included every species and race on Middle Earth, including all the despised colors of humanity, and all the lower classes.

Hmm. Did they all leave their homes and march to war thinking, "Oh, goody, let's go serve an evil Dark Lord"?

--David Brin

Link courtesy of Sobit.