Resistance to change is futile

I've read so many articles and blog posts this year that allude to the endless manner with which technology has changed our lives and will continue to do so in ways we cannot even fathom yet.

But what amazes me is the sheer outrage and defiance by certain members of society against various forms of technology that have sewn guaranteed obsolescence in the way many organizations do business and governments create laws.

The entertainment industry rendered obsolete by storage technology and the internet. Privacy rendered obsolete by magnetic cards and networked databases, closed circuit camera networks and the internet (never mind the anti-privacy habits of people themselves while online). The authorities requiring that citizens delete or turn over pictures that they've taken rendered obsolete by the ability to instantly post those pictures online. Electronic censorship rendered obsolete by virtue of an internet that with our help, intrinsically repairs any data that goes missing or becomes blocked. Banning recording of any kind in any space when recording devices become as ubiquitous as jewelry. And so on.....

I think the defining characteristic of the 21st century will be that those in society who protest against and restrict technological advances are doomed to die a slow and painful death, while those who embrace and exploit it will be the new leaders of the world, both in the political and business arenas. Because in the end, people will finally realize that old regimes and business models need to die for us to truly be free. Change is good.