Continuous evolution

Hi everyone,

When I was a teenager, I thought the society in which I was living would stay approximately the same with small changes only:
- I would have a better life than my parents
- I would keep the same job all life long
- science would provide everyone with a better life
- wars would not exist any more anywhere
- etc.

Adults were saying the young generation was becoming awful... I didn't think so: I was happy with my future.

...

Looks like I was pretty wrong, no?

Hi everyone,

My forecasts were made in the years 196x.

Did many things change in society since then?

Unemployment, new disease, violence, religious extremism, etc. Do you think our children's life will be awful?
Would you like to be 20 nowadays?
Do you approve the youth's behaviors?

Hello Gerard ! everyone !
I can't answer right now ! I need time and i'll do it this evening. what I want above all is to point out positive aspects and not remain pessimist. Like " My time was much better ! "

Hi Muriel,

Merci de me faire part des grosses fautes dans mes messages en langue étrangère. Grâce à vos remarques, je pourrai m'améliorer

> and not remain pessimist.
"Pessimist" is a noun, the corresponding adjective is pessimistic.
You can either say "remain a pessimist" or "remain pessimistic".

MurielB a écrit:... Like " My time was much better ! "

Anyway.
I think every generation says these words just meaning it's difficult to change: any period is the best for someone.
When I wrote my text and asked my questions, I had further comments in mind... "my time was much better" is understandable and right but it's only a point of view, generation by generation.
Every generation is adapted to its period.

Hello Gerard, everyone
My belief is that the universe can only move in the direction of more complexity and consciousness.
for instance

To be aware of the fragility of the environment and of the interdependence between the environment and mankind.

Human rights or duties and not struggle for life

To organize a better world and gradually suppress all forms of power : religious or political fundamentalism
In the search people must work together because inventions change the world (Internet, ipad)and allow more communication between people.
I think that we must follow that direction and be patient (wait about 100.000 million years )

Hi Muriel, Gérard, everyone,

It's always difficult for an old generation to understand the new one. Nowadays, civilization runs more quickly than generations. If a human being lives 80 years, there can be so many changes during this period.
Technics changes, knowledge improves, so that our believes are different, we adapt our way of life to economics.
In a long term, all countries of this world will be developed, so we can think of a unique country for the whole world. Of course, today's developed countries are going to be forced to reduce their consumption of energy and raw materials, to share with others. It demands a change in our uses.
Internet changes everything. Localy, web and cellulars make our life different. But also, with internet, knowledge is at disposal of everyone in the world. It's very important for the development of emergent countries.
It changes also teaching.
Thanks to the nuclear weapon, we are forced to get along together. With progres of science and technologies, we can hope to have everyone a better life on earth, to live in a better world.

For the time being, we don't master DNA, and even less human mind. Will we able to control that in the future ? Or will it be an utopia ? If we manage to do so, it could appear like a kind of the end of the world, the end of a cycle, of a play...What should mean life in that case ?

MurielB a écrit:=To organize a better world and gradually suppress all forms of power : religious or political fundamentalism

Like women vote rights and wedding for everyone,I think that the pope resignation is a step forward towards democracy

I do agree with both Muriel and Remy. I am, however, less optimistic as to the possibility, even on long term, of changing the world of power and religion we are forced to live in.

Who will stand up and raise the banner against greed for fame and power, as John Lennon imagined all the people and sang:

No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of men
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

Who, actually, will stand up? Certainly not our politicians. They stick to their NIMBY/NIMBO: Not In my Backyard/ Not In My Term of Office.

Anyway, politicians just role the figurants in the world puppet show. Money rules the globe and, as Verlaine concludes in his Art Poétique, “Et tout le reste est literature”.

We, Western world citizens, obsessed by the idea of Western democracy and the Western illusion of human rights against Eastern theocracy and dictatorship, are just allowed to cast our votes and, as for the rest, to do with panem et circenses.

Muriel’s remarks make me admit she’d have successfully completed Thomas More’s «Utopia»

Similarly, her [QUOTE] To organize a better world and gradually suppress all forms of power: religious or political fundamentalism [UNQUOTE] resounds like Martin Luther King’s cry «I had a dream!»

We are currently living through a period called «technological revolution». Communication between people is supposed to be made easier by technically sophisticated gadgets like cellphone, google, twitter, facebook, linkedin and what have you. But… are we really prepared to use these tools judiciously? Judging from what I observe at my doorstep, we are NOT. It’s all rubbish blog, nonsense chat supervised by Big Brother’s commercial (if not ideological) brainwash machine. Internet is both the best and the worst, like in Aesop’s tongue fable. Vice and virtue lodge and live under the same roof. As to the volume of information available on the Web, English dominates but wisdom took the French leave.

This is why I believe that our good old «Polyglotte Café» concept establishes a closer human and cultural contact between people than the absolute farce and humbug mess we might be caught and entangled in through the excessive use of modern digital communication tools.

Philippe-Henri

Hi Muriel, Philippe-Henri, Remy, hi everyone,

Very interesting postings above.

are we really prepared to use these tools judiciously? Judging from what I observe at my doorstep, we are NOT. It’s all rubbish blog, nonsense chat supervised by Big Brother’s commercial (if not ideological) brainwash machine. Internet is both the best and the worst, like in Aesop’s tongue fable. Vice and virtue lodge and live under the same roof. As to the volume of information available on the Web, English dominates but wisdom took the French leave.

True that we are not properly prepared and even that the commercial world takes advantage of the situation.
> Internet is both the best and the worst
It is very important to be trained to use it correctly and avoid to be tricked.

A technological improvement is good or bad according to our way to use it: nuclear power, cars, nanotech, GMOs, price lowering, etc.
I think a difference is that old technologies (nucleaar power, cars) were used for the best in the beginning and afterwards, they were diverted to the worst; news technologies look to quickly go to the worst destinations.
I would say that ethics is nowadays not even considered.

Ethics? You said: ethics?

Morality has not the same value for everyone. Internet is an open market place, a 'forum' as the Romans would say, where the fool can argue with the wise. Where the maffioso rub shoulders with the monk. Where the end justifies the means. Where, anyway, money wins out over morality.

How to choose between the best and the worst? Internet popped up so suddenly that we had no time to prepare ourselves morally to this unusual kind of freedom.

Google is one of the most immoral operators on the Net. While making us believe it's free they snatch our personal data and sell them to their 'third parties', who will overrun us subsequently with targetted commercials.

It's clear that you mustn't put on internet something that you want to remain secret.
In an other way, web is a fantastic tool for information and business. You can read every newspaper free and so get a complete view of information. It's also a fantastic tool for business and communication.
As well as cellulars allow to spear much time.
But people, especially young one, can become addicted. And also, we don't measure the impact of waves and flat panel displays on health. But they probably prepare a hecatomb, much worse than asbestos, because everyone is concerned.

Hello everyone
I am on facebook but I never write private things. My only purpose is to promote the "café polyglotte" concept which not only allows you to improve your language skill but draws people closer. The worst rubs shoulders with the best in internet and everywhere even within ourselves. It 's up to everyone to let out the best.

to Rémy

Actually, I didn’t criticize modern (i.e. time-saving) communication devices for being useless. I did mean that many of them are not as useful, safe or harmless as they are supposed to.

Many of those what-d’ye-call-its are just games and gadgetry. Main risks: information overload, addiction, health problems, stealth of personal data, and intrusion on privacy. Main beneficiaries: rip-off merchants, profit-makers, internet providers, telephone operators, industrial spies and intelligence agencies.

Cellphone addiction doesn’t hit young people in particular; Adults too are victims.

Besides, cellphone and SMS overuse may entail a lot of expense can cause financial problems.

Would you mind not using smileys please?

To Philippe-Henri,

I agree with you. To my mind, high technos are like television : well used, it can be a marvellous tool; if you able to pick the good programs...

Philippe-Henri a écrit:Would you mind not using smileys please?

OK Henri, when I write to you I will try to avoid them

To Rémy

Right.

There are a wide range of TV viewers. You have:

− the Fussy, who select programmes they’re interested in only
− the Eclectic, who take the better and leaves the worse
− the All-rounders, who have a passion for anything
− the Time-killers, who watch TV because they don’t like doing nothing
− the Bored, who watch all programmes, whatever the subject
− the Lonely, who have their TV set on all day long, so as to use it as background music
− the Insomniac, who use TV as a sleeping pill
− the Exasperated, who are fed up with soaps and commercials and throw their TV out of the window
− the Wise, who have no TV at all [joke]

well, what a list !
When I'm tired, completely enable even to remember my name, I watch soccer on TV...

Hi everyone,

> Main risks:...
> Main beneficiaries:...
Yes but I don't agree with you to say there are mainly negative points.

Like every technology, like everything on Earth, there're advantages and drawbacks.
Everyone is free to use a technology according to their knowledge.

Scam existed before the Internet. It also exists on the Internet.
It is necessary to get trained to the traps of the Internet to know it better, then we can take advantage of it and stop as soon as drawbacks are more important than advantages (as soon as we don't feel comfortable).

Everyone must be responsible for their acts: it's up to everyone to know what they can do.
I'm a fan of Facebook and don't have any problem with it. had I be in troubles, I wouldn't blam the Government, FB and advertisers.

Just a question about Facebook Gérard. I keep asking for new friends who write in the language i want to practice and I keep getting banned from Facebook because I am not allowed to have friends I don't know.

Hi Muriel,

MurielB a écrit:Just a question about Facebook Gérard. I keep asking for new friends who write in the language i want to practice and I keep getting banned from Facebook because I am not allowed to have friends I don't know.

Who is banning you?
Are you rejected/unsubscribed from Facebook itself??? I don't understand.

> I am not allowed to have friends I don't know.
There are several types of groups at Facebook.
There are individuals - to be in the friend list of someone, you have to ask them and be accepted by the person.
There are private groups - you have to be added by one of the members.
There are open groups - you just have to register or to "like".

Here's the example of an open group: Deutsch Stammtisch Paris -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/6557506540/ I think you can openly subscribe (and become a member) otherwise I can add you.
There are lots of such groups: enter "Deutsch " (space to end) or "English " to find them and be admitted.

Yes it's from Facebook itself so I try to be careful. If you accept me in your group Deutsch Stammtisch Paris , I would be pleased and ask Patrick to let me more time to finish my accountancy.

Muriel,

> Yes it's from Facebook itself
What do you do to be banned?? I never saw anyone banned by Facebook; is you account closed by them?

Je viens de trouver sur google le lien d'une personne qui a reçu le même message que moi de Facebook
http://forum.webmaster-rank.info/reseaux-sociaux/pas-normal-dit-facebook-t5013.html
Mais ce n'est pas grave car tout est rentré dans l'ordre.

Muriel,

I see you've got lots of friends on Facebook... should be annoying unless you know them all very well or they never post.

My contacts are split between several groups so that my friends don't receive too many messages they are not interested in e.g. my contacts at Microsoft don't receive messages from my family, friends from my school don't receive messages about Microsoft, my French friends don't receive too many messages in English, etc.