Aaron Brady CS 3043 Anon Connection to Networks and Communications
Anon has two technologically significant differences that allow for futuristic communications. One unique technology is Ether. This is where recordings of people’s consciousness are uploaded in live time. Additionally, in the movie there is neurotech that allows the characters to communicate between each other and when their eyes are open it is as if they are looking at a screen or in virtual reality. There are pop-ups and information everywhere they look. In the movie there are common communications that we have today, such as facetime and texting; however, in the movie it is done in a screen-less way all based on their brain.
In chapter three of Ethics for the Information Age, Michael Quinn writes about all the ways we use the internet to network. The aspects mentioned by Quinn are reflected in the movie are commerce, learning, contributing content, and communicating one-to-one [1].
Today we use the internet to do commerce. This can be seen in the use of Amazon and Facebook marketplace. In Anon, they can use technology to walk up to a hot dog cart and buy a hot dog without a single word spoken, or credit card swiped. When Sal walks up to the cart, all the product descriptions and prices pop up in his view. Then he can submit his order and adjust the payment amount to buy the product via the neurotech. The closest technology to this today is Apple pay or online order when you type in the card information. Also, stores and fast-food restaurants that allow customers to order what they want on a device instead of interacting with other people represent the move towards this contactless sale interaction.
The Ether is used by Sal and the investigation agency to learn. Although it is not learning about a topic, it is an investigation to learn about people. They can search people and watch their point of view at any desired time. Also, an aspect of learning is reflected by the viewing technology because when you look at an object or person their description informs the viewer about said object.
People automatically contributed content to the Ether. Their consciousness was automatically uploaded live to the Ether. While there are articles and descriptions, it is unknown if that is contributed by people or by an algorithm based on the person’s patterns. Either way a person must have written the algorithm so in that aspect people contributed to the articles and descriptions that are written.
In terms of communicating one-to-one, the movie is similar to today. The large difference is that they can do it telepathically without a screen. Ways of communication were instant facetime and messaging (including sending files). Something interesting that the movie depicted was the automatic translation of language in live time. We have translators or voiceovers of videos in the language we desire, but not to the extent of the movie shows.
Aspects that are lacking in the movie in terms of communication and networking via technology is the use of social media. We do not see the use of group communication or social media. It would be interesting to see how social media would evolve in a society with this type of technology. Would it still be in the app-like format with telepathically scrolling? Or could it be implemented in a way where you see the person’s content from their point of view?
Quinn, M. J. (2012). Ethics for the information age. Pearson Prentice Hall.