Gadgets Make Moral Statements (?!)

Excellent article in today’s Wall Street Journal Online, in the “Portals” column by Lee Gomes.

The title is Apple’s 30 Years Of Selling Cool Stuff With Uncool Message (subscription may be required), but I think my title is better.

He begins by discussing Apple’s 30-year anniversary, and their record of technology milestones, in glowing tones.

But he finds “another important Apple creation” to be problematic, if not insidious:

The idea is that moral values can be attached to technological objects; that certain kinds of technology are inherently more ethical than other kinds; and that, by extension, the simple act of owning or using one particular kind of technology somehow makes you a better person than you’d be if you didn’t.

He welcomes a feisty debate on the relative merits of computers and other technological gadgets.

However, he believes the “idea of the virtuous computer”, or by extension any conclusion that ”[g]ood deeds became equated with good shopping” is a bit much.

I agree.

Photos from Wikipedia.