The Self Fulfilling Prophecies

Nearly everywhere you look, there is news about the bad economy. Just this morning on Ars Technica, there are articles about the wisdom and efficacy of the AMD spinoff of the Foundry Co., and the prevailing idea that 2009 will be so bad for PC sales that 2008 will be referred to as the “good old days”.

Over at ComputerWorld, Microsoft is shown to be abandoning its case for business adoption of Vista (thanks, Mr. Ballmer, we’re glad you tired of that tune, it was sung in the wrong key anyway!), and now is on to the push for the upcoming sludge release, Windows 7. The carrot on the end of the stick? Why, Windows 7, being further locked down, makes natural sense for the business desktop (can’t dispute this, it’s true). To top that, Internet Exploder 8 (no, not a typo, the Compatibility List is going to be a nightmare) can be uninstalled, so that those employees that are supposed to be working on databases and spreadsheets can’t be surfing to see what starlet is dating what sports figure on the “E” network. To top that off, Microsoft ends the sales presentation with the fact that, since they’ve made Windows 7 harder to do anything with, it will allow part of the prospective buyer’s workforce to be released from work, to further inflate the unemployment numbers (in California, there are counties that are hovering at 20% unemployment, today, who says we don’t lead?).

Now we’re talking!

Above this, many sites are talking about the torrent leaked of the newest Windows 7 build, and the number of people who are talking about downloading it are enough to bring Comcast and its ‘traffic shaping’ to its collective knees. These same sites don’t speak of why the people are so enthralled with the idea of trying this ‘new’ operating system – the fact that so few new things are happening, and to relieve the boredom and possible anxious feelings of job loss or portfolio shrinkage.

The point I’m making here is two pronged. On the one hand, when there is little to no news, the news diffusers still have to put something out – to have a quiet day would be criminal! So instead we have further refinements of the old news, and a spin on things that ends up causing many to wonder why they got up today. By pursuing the path of refining the stories, the bad facts are reinforced (such as the news of how business can lose employees by adopting Windows 7) and the groupthink becomes ingrained.

It gives fuel to the downward spiral. It makes many depressed. It causes the loss of jobs and the cost cutting that makes many wonder which came first (the chicken or egg problem).

It focuses our attentions on things that make each of us feel better about our own lives, just as the stories of “Octomom” showed women with children how smart they really were for taking care of their own children, and stopping the madness at a number that they could responsibly care for.

There are few stories of good things happening, and when found, are entangled with cautionary tales, such as the ‘money talk’ on The Today Show, this morning. While being educated about money management and fiscal responsibility, the warning about the national debt was brought in to the conversation. The one good thing was the fact that the advisors gave proper credit to the national policy of investing in science and technology as one of the very few things that could end the recession and remove the national debt.

So, as you wade through all the news that’s fit to print (or view), remember what prophecies you wish to be fulfilled, and concentrate your reading efforts on them.

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We have heard so far the voice of life on one small world only. But we have at last begun to listen for other voices in the cosmic fugue.Carl Sagan

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