In Praise of Tech Bros
Things can get better in the end, in large part because of technology.
The resistance to technological advancement is a motif that has played out across the ages, echoing the same refrain: technology is full glory and promise, but cannot be our savior. For some, the resistance is a fear that technology will bring about catastrophic consequences, unleashing forces beyond our control. For others, the fear is more about a loss of control, a slipping of the reins of power.
Johannes Gutenberg, 15th century tech bro, ran into the resistance because the printing press was clearly going to have profound implications for society, culture, and established power structures. Anyone could potentially have access to information. It was a Pandora’s Box, if ever there was one. The printing press would unleash all sorts of evils:
The death knell for oral traditions, and the jobs that went with it.
The end of artisanal beauty of handwritten manuscripts, and the jobs that went with it.
The collapse of controlled and censored information, and the jobs that went with it.
The Catholic Church, a towering authority, was afraid of the blowback if the little people could read the Bible for themselves. Monarchs and aristocrats, who had long held a monopoly on knowledge and power, saw their control threatened. Intellectuals and academics, the traditional gatekeepers of knowledge, anticipated a future where their roles were diminished.
There was a global gasp that life would irrevocably change for the worse, with an onslaught of information overload heralded by the printing press.
The 21st century choruses of "tech won’t save us!" ring as loud as ever, and urbanists are no exception. Irony is lost on techno-pessimists:
"We've got to warn the people that technology is not the answer."
"Which technology should we use to warn them?"
It’s worth parking on Gutenberg’s technology for just a moment. I’m sure if you stare at the wall for a minute, you could think of a huge list of outcomes made possible by 15th century’s Big Tech. For example:
Reformation: Martin Luther's 95 Theses, printed and circulated widely, sparked the Protestant Reformation, challenging the Catholic Church's dominance and leading to religious diversity.
Standardization of language: It disseminated texts in vernacular languages, helping to stabilize and standardize spelling and grammar.
Literacy rates: As books became more available and affordable, literacy rates increased, empowering more people to read and write.
Scientific revolution: The ease of sharing scientific discoveries and ideas accelerated the scientific revolution, enabling scientists to build upon each other's work.
Democratization of knowledge: The printing press broke the monopoly of the elite on knowledge, making books more accessible to a broader segment of the population.
Preservation of knowledge: Printed books are more durable than manuscripts, leading to better preservation of knowledge over time.
Cultural exchange: The printing press fostered an interconnected world by facilitating the exchange of cultural ideas and knowledge between different regions and societies.
Beach reads: The production of fictional works became more viable, leading to the rise of the novel as a literary form.
Expansion of libraries: The increase in book production led to the expansion of libraries, both public and private, making a wider range of knowledge available to the community.
Legal uniformity: The printing of legal documents and texts contributed to the standardization and uniformity of laws across different jurisdictions.
Artistic reproductions: The ability to print reproductions of artworks democratized art, making it accessible to those who couldn't afford original pieces.
Music dissemination: Printed music scores made it easier for composers to distribute their works, leading to a wider circulation of musical compositions.
Rise of journalism: Newspapers and periodicals gave rise to journalism as a profession.
Social movements: Printed materials helped to organize and spread the ideas of social movements, from the abolition of slavery to women's suffrage.
Political pamphlets: This was a popular method for spreading revolutionary ideas, notably during the American Revolution, influencing public opinion and political change.
Encyclopedia and compilation: The printing press made it feasible to compile and disseminate encyclopedias and comprehensive works, pooling human knowledge in accessible formats (even floppy disks).
Renaissance: The spread of classical texts and ideas through print played a significant role in driving the Renaissance, a revival of art, culture, and intellect across Europe.
Travel guides and maps: The printing of travel guides and maps made navigation and exploration more accessible to the general public, encouraging travel and cultural exchange.
Professionalization of writing: The demand for new reading material led to the professionalization of writing as a career, with authors and poets able to support themselves through their published works. (Ahem, like Substack.)
Influence on art: The development of printmaking techniques, such as woodcuts and engravings, influenced art by allowing the reproduction of images, spreading artistic styles and ideas.
Technologists will continue to deliver incredible tools for humans to flourish.
Even if a handful of people profit handsomely, Big Tech is capable of transforming the lives of people across the socio-economic spectrum.
Affordable internet access
Mobile health clinics
Virtual meeting platforms
3D printed housing
Food security apps
Transportation solutions
Employment and skill-building platforms
Accessible legal aid
Digital currency
Renewable energy sources
Social media
Motorized wheelchairs
Gig economy apps
Peer-to-peer lending
I wouldn’t belabor this idea if I didn’t constantly see well-meaning urbanists getting snarky about emerging technology.
Every piece of equipment, software, or combination of the two will have trade-offs. Some will be colossal failures, while others make our lives better in countless ways. My mind is still numbed by the improvements to personal computing speed, monitor resolution, podcasting software, and video editing software.
I’d encourage you to keep that same techno-optimism for innovations related to the built environment. Civil engineering software that simplifies designing protected intersections, augmented reality glasses that illustrate converting a mall parking lot to 3D-printed homes, and autonomous garbage trucks that do their thing after hours when most people are in bed.
Things can get better in the end, in large part because of technology.
My favourite tweet ever was Taras Grescoe's from 2012: "The real future of the city is 21st century communications (smartphone, apps, twitter, texts) and 19th century transport (subways, streetcars, bikes)" I still believe he is generally correct; we don't need or want autonomous cars or Elon's tunnels (or elon's twitter but that's another story)
Weirdly shallow take Andy... I think you've misunderstood the way they are using the word "tech". Those writers are not talking about the concept of technology, but the tech industry... It's probably worth pointing out your OG-techbro Guttenberg effectively died bankrupt, having run a 'printing' business, not an 'intellectual property ownership' business.