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Is Technology Failing to Simplify Life? Tim Ferriss on Economist.com

Written by: Timothy Ferriss

Article Overview: I was recently invited to participate in a debate sponsored by The Economist, and it just went live. The proposition: If the promise of technology is to simplify our lives, it is failing. Do you agree or disagree?

Is Technology Failing to Simplify Life? Tim Ferriss on Economist.com

I was recently invited to participate in a debate sponsored by The Economist, and it just went live.

The proposition: If the promise of technology is to simplify our lives, it is failing.

Do you agree or disagree?

There are some fascinating points made by both debaters, and I add a few observations of my own. Be sure to read their “opening statements,” which are what I focus on, before their later rebuttals. Here is the first part of my commentary as a “featured participant”:

I receive 500–1,000 e-mail per day.

To contend with this, I have virtual assistants in Canada and sub-assistants in Bangalore who filter my inboxes using processing rules in Google Docs. Connected via Skype and compensated via PayPal, this team translates a 10-hour task into a 20-minute phone call…

[Read the rest of this one-pager here]

It will be obvious why I voted “pro”.

In order to vote — and I find this ironic — you need to first “register” in the top right of the screen, then get a screen name, then click on “pro” or “con”. Simple. :)

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Article Tags: bangalore, canada, debaters, docs, e mail, economist, google, minute phone, opening statements, participant, rebuttals, screen name, skype, virtual assistants



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