Computers seem to be a source of entropy for the human race when looked at from a information standpoint. The production of information is probably for all intents and purposes limitless; therefore the universal law of entropy holds, ie "delta s of the universe is positive". Positive or increasing entropy means increasing randomness, or perhaps more correctly *progressively more disorder*.

Yes, computers can bring efficiency; but ultimately computerization injects more variables (choices) into our existence.

Do you agree with this premise? If yes, then how do you think it fits as a background for y2k. If no, then why not?

I look forward to your remarks.

-- Will (sibola@hotmail.com), September 14, 1999

Answers

Will,

Have to answer Yes. Banking-Finance in particular for our present case.

Me, I'm still mulling the 19th Ammendment. Talk about an entropy generator!!

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), September 14, 1999.

Yes, /dev/random is a huge source of entropy. Ban it now.

-- a programmer (a@programmer.com), September 14, 1999.

Computers are definitely a source of entrophy, or as the second law of thermodynamics states, all matter and energy is headed in one direction, "...from order to disorder, and from disorder to chaos."

Concerning Y2K, only computers, coupled with the short sightedness of CEO's and government, have the potential to create a type of chaos never before seen in history. If the remediation isn't finished, or if glitches occur as a result of remediation--human error, it could send the present way of life into a long decline. Or a hacker in another country could sit comfortably at a keyboard and hack into the DOD, or a terrorist launch a missile.

Yes I agree with the premise, for the information overload alone has created all sorts or misinformation. As a fellow said the other day at an environemental meeting I attended, " We are not simply awash in information from the Internet, we are drowning in it."

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), September 14, 1999.

They may also have some of the characteristics of black holes also... suck information in.. but after 1/1/00, may not let any out.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), September 14, 1999.

Will: From a Senior Citizen's viewpoint I feel it has been very helpful up to this point. With just tv, radio and print I get one man's(or network's) opinion. This medium supplies just about every shade of spin you could possibly want. Will we drown in the amount of info available? As of now with a little judicious filtering of articles you can limit the amount available for your own purposes. Example: I bypass articles that cause flaming. I don't bother reading Andy Ray etc etc. Computers are still only a tool. Unfortunately there are too many executives that deify it and allow decisions to be made by electronic computers rather than the human brain.

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), September 14, 1999.