Re: Kiln People [spoilers] (was Re: Soooo...)

[Jim Sharkey]

>In view of _The Transparent Society_
>
>One thing I found interesting in KP is the depiction of breaking of
>Universal Kiln's security towards the end, when we have the little
>golem-ferret sneaking around UK's owner's home. One of the themes
>of TS is that if we make spy tech available to everyone, then
>citizens and governments will be on a near equal footing. My worry
>is that, even giving equal agressive tech, governments and the rich
>will be able to afford much stronger *defensive* tech than the
>average person and will have much greater motivation to employ it.

That's always been one of the flaws I've felt was inherent in DB's TS. The wealthy and powerful will always have the upper hand. Though hopefully, that gap can be closed as it is in this particular future that DB envisioned.

I did notice that he based a fair bit of this book off of his TS ideas. He even talks about transparency laws having been passed, etc., in the course of it.

Another thing I rather liked: The idea that the Internet will one day be passe. Goes against everything people are thinking right now. Dr. Brin's a right contrarian sometimes, isn't he? :)

Jim

---