Maschines in construction, specifically 3D printing houses
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SObzNdyRTBs
 
http://www.wasproject.it/...-continuiamo-a-salire/

Computer systems aren't 'other', they're expressions of humans.  That includes the mistakes and cock ups humans make.  I've always said that before computers, people could only royally screw up say 10-20 times a day, hour, whatever.  Now, with modern computing, we can make millions of mistakes per second.  The scary bit is the rate of change and development; legislation is not struggling to keep up with this rate of change, it is completely and utterly failing to do so.
 
Porn ruined everything?  I disagree.  Us, the consumer, all of us, ruined everything.  For some reason, nearly everybody had the attitude that everything on the internet should be free.  We refused to pay for any content or service, so how then was the enormous cost of running the WWW to be funded?  Welcome to the rise of ... not the machine, but bloody Google who transformed the entire internet into their marketing b1tch.  Welcome to the new world of malvertising.  I suggest not to click on any adverts ;-)
 
On the subject of aeroplanes, such systems are programmed in ADA typically which, incredibly, I do trust.
 
Disclaimer: the above was written on Monday morning whilst my caffeine/blood ratio was dangerously low.

ston
Porn ruined everything?  I disagree.  Us, the consumer, all of us, ruined everything.
 

I remember reading in an Australian IT journal how porn sites were pushing the online purchasing development, due to the volume of transactions and demand.  Back then companies such as Microsoft/Novell/Netscape were using porn companies as there test beds for next generation online marketing sales software and security simply because of the volume of sales and traffic.
 
I doubt this has changed much.
 
Its the consumers demand for porn that forced a lot of changes, that a cultural and social issue, not a technological one!
 
http://sexual-sanity.com/...-internet-pornography/
 
 
 
 

craigb
I've seen two people sitting next to each other at a bar...  texting each other.  I've had a roommate downstairs text me while I'm upstairs with my door open (I mean, really???!).  No wonder I like small, furry animals better than other human-like entities. 

The bar thing is a stretch ... BUT, if you think about, text messaging is the ultimate way to communicate.  Being asynchronous, it facilitates max efficiency with very little queuing and "I/O blocking".
 
ADA ... I did some time with the Countess.  I was impressed on paper, but in practice it's way over engineered.  IMO, of course.
 
 

The Government used to love ADA.  I could tell you about some systems coded with ADA that were used by, er, the transportation device Bob used to be in!
 
(But I won't!)

I think pr0n is going to be driving current VR tech forwards too... ;-)

ston
I think pr0n is going to be driving current VR tech forwards too... ;-)

 
Your comment reminded me of this cartoon.  Then I saw the date in it, I guess everyone back in the 80's thought we would be farther along now than we are.  Personally, I blame idiocracy for the lack of progress.

ston
On the subject of aeroplanes, such systems are programmed in ADA typically which, incredibly, I do trust.

ADA may stop planes crashing into each other but you have to wonder what would happen if the power went out and backup supplies failed. The entire Delta computer system crashed today because of a "power cut." Granted that has nothing to do with ADA but it makes you realize that it's not even so much our dependence on computers but also our dependence on electricity!

craigb
The Government used to love ADA.  I could tell you about some systems coded with ADA that were used by, er, the transportation device Bob used to be in!
 
(But I won't!)

I was actually most familiar with java's ancestor; p-code machines.  And old UNIVAC machine & assembly languages.  C was taking over the world while ADA was still sucking up taxpayer dollars, so that's the direction I went.  Once Stroustrup's genius was widely implemented, I never looked back.  Once my management lobotomy was done, I didn't look forward much either
 
Thanks for keeping our secrets safe craig!!
 

craigb

ston
I think pr0n is going to be driving current VR tech forwards too... ;-)

 
Your comment reminded me of this cartoon.  Then I saw the date in it, I guess everyone back in the 80's thought we would be farther along now than we are.  Personally, I blame idiocracy for the lack of progress.

I wish they would get on with it already!