The utopia that doesn’t include Apple’s theme park

The latest rumor on the streets is that Apple is working on a new wireless Apple TV without local storage, without ports. Dave Winer chimes whines in on a computerdom utopia and how it needs to be tied to relics of the past to succeed.

Apple is building the Disney computer network. All the streets are clean, and the entertainment too. There’s no porn here, and as long as there are no ports it’ll stay that way.

And how is that a bad thing?

Computers are meant to be more than DisneyLand, they are meant to solve societal problems and help our species evolve. That means we must have freedom. And freedom and control are exact opposites.

That sounds so 1960s-ish, yet it’s complete and utter bull crap. Computers are tools. What we do with them may or may not solve any of society’s problems or improve the species. Despite a few decades of computers spreading throughout the world, one could argue the impact has been worse. Could Wall Street and the financial market’s near collapse have happened without convoluted and intricate packaged financial product models developed on computers?

So freedom and control are exact opposites? On what planet? Oh, the planet of imagination, circa 20th century sci-fi.

That kind of thinking may be the result of too many opportunities to inhale exhaust from burning weeds. A government’s control over citizens (speed limits, health care, police protection, fire protection) should be abolished so everyone can be free?

Utopian thinking always gets bogged down with the facts of reality. In the end it’s simple—curating vs. freedom of thought. We need both. Curating is an inescapable part of human nature. Historical records indicate that curating began in the Garden of Eden. It is our nature to curate our environment and ourselves.

Freedom? Give a definition that fits everyone.

I’d rather have wire-cluttered desktops and TV stations, than have Apple decide what I can and can’t watch.

And if you don’t, do you fear that Apple’s boot heel will be on your neck? Since when does Apple decide what you can and can’t watch? If you go to Disneyland or Disneyworld, Dave, don’t the folks at Disney decide what you can and can’t watch?

Yes. If you don’t like Apple’s theme park you are still completely free to move about the country.

So when I read on Engadget that Apple is getting ready to ship a new Apple TV with no ports at all, I thought how horrible, unless—perhaps they’ve looked at the wire-mess issue and come up with a wireless way to connect desktop devices like hard disks, printers and external monitors. But I suspect that they haven’t, and they believe that the “consumer” doesn’t need any local storage.

From that you determined Apple’s motives for an as-yet-unannounced product with unannounced features that may provide potential restrictions on your supposed freedom?

Dave, the 20th century called. They want you back. You’re being charged with egregious quantum leaping.

Besides, who does not like Disneyland? Other than grumpy old hippies with a utopian computerdom fetish that only responds to medication.

Curated communities I don’t mind as long as I get to choose which one to visit.