Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway

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Critical examination of internet's overhyped promises.

If you've ever found yourself skeptical about the unending praise of the digital age or if you feel that technology might be encroaching too much on the simple pleasures of life, Clifford Stoll's Silicon Snake Oil could offer you a thoughtful perspective. It invites a look behind the screen, questioning the true value of being perpetually plugged in. You might find this read a refreshing counterpoint to the tech-utopian narratives.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway

Regular price $10.90
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: S$26.38  
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ISBN: 9780385419949
Authors: Clifford Stoll
Date of Publication: 1996-03-01
Format: Paperback
Related Topics: Essays, Technology, Computers
Goodreads rating: 3.35
(rated by 438 readers)

Description

In Silicon Snake Oil, Clifford Stoll, the best-selling author of The Cuckoo's Egg and one of the pioneers of the Internet, turns his attention to the much-heralded information highway, revealing that it is not all it's cracked up to be. Yes, the Internet provides access to plenty of services, but useful information is virtually impossible to find and difficult to access. Is being online truly useful? "Few aspects of daily life require computers...They're irrelevant to cooking, driving, visiting, negotiating, eating, hiking, dancing, speaking, and gossiping. You don't need a computer to...recite a poem or say a prayer." Computers can't, Stoll claims, provide a richer or better life. A cautionary tale about today's media darling, Silicon Snake Oil has sparked intense debate across the country about the merits--and foibles--of what's been touted as the entranceway to our future.
 

Critical examination of internet's overhyped promises.

If you've ever found yourself skeptical about the unending praise of the digital age or if you feel that technology might be encroaching too much on the simple pleasures of life, Clifford Stoll's Silicon Snake Oil could offer you a thoughtful perspective. It invites a look behind the screen, questioning the true value of being perpetually plugged in. You might find this read a refreshing counterpoint to the tech-utopian narratives.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.