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TODAY. The human cost when IT goes wrong.

It’s not that I am against technology. I’m using it now. It does wonderful stuff (some of the time)

But our daily lives are now so involved with digital technology. IT is in control of so many systems. We are in danger of being constantly supervised, and indeed controlled, by digital technology. China already gives an example of how that can work.

I have grave misgivings about personal privacy, and the loss of human skills to computer wizardry. And that’s when information technology is working OK.

Britain’s Post Office scandal gives a timely illustration of what can happen when IT is not working OK. Hundreds of decent, honest people were wrongly convicted: they had to pay thousands of pounds, homes were lost, reputations ruined, lives were lost.

Of course, Post Office and Fujitsu authorities and others covered up and lied about the faulty Horizon IT system. It continues to amaze me, how these gutless individuals are happy to hang on to their big salaries, and lie their heads off, in loyalty to their employing body. It’s been going on since the notorious tobacco industry executives lied about smoking and cancer.

Unfortunately, it seems to be embedded in the corporate climbing-the-ladder system - mindless loyalty to the industry.

It is not just the fault of these dishonest individuals. It is also the fault of our general mindless acceptance of IT “progress”, and our reverence for the megawealthy tech boys developing it.

We need to maintain a healthy scepticism about digital systems - how necessary are they , and what if they go wrong?

January 18, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes