i was gonna make this a post on the ID cards thread but didn’t want to drift it and I think its a wider issue..

Those of you who are interested in technology might know that Britain’s techies have been some of the best in the World over the years.

We invented programmable computers, the concept behind internet routing, jointly improved Europes broadcasting and telecommunications networks, from the 70s to the 90s there were loads of small but successful high-tech companies in our country.

I worked with various high-tech companies within SE England at the height of the dot-com era, and although there were lots of clever people there what struck me was a complete lack of ethical/social conciousness.

so much of the technology that could have been used for positive purposes was used to control and manipulate people, or force others out of jobs…

And Britain today seems to have a niche market in advanced electronic surveillance technology, CCTV and Police radio communications systems, defence equipment and the nuclear industry, which is jealously guarded.

Anyone else noticed this with our current British managed high-tech industries (not the ones wholly run by foreign firms that just assemble japanese and other brands)

Do you think its a bit negative and dysfunctional so many of our best brains are working in thiese fields? Of course there must be clever people doing good things but you rarely get to hear about them at all, or their ideas are ignored as there is “no commercial market for this idea”