Eschatechnology:

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Eschatechnology

• Computer Science, Survival and Y2k

Kurt Reymers Department of Social
Sciences Morrisville State College (State
University of New York) sociology.morrisville.edu
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Religion and Technology closer than you think

• Convergences of religion and technology
• Shamanism (cf. McKenna 1992)
• Fire (cf. Davis)
• Movable Type (Luther)
• Ocean Exploration (Columbus)
• Telegraphy (Morse)
• The Bomb (Oppenheimer)
• Computers and Cyberculture

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Computers and Eschatology
Convergence of eschatology and modernity (Eschatol
ogy  a branch of theology concerned with the
final events in the history of the world or of
humankind the study of the end of the
world) Latour We have all reached the point of
mixing up times. We have all become premodern
again We too are afraid that the sky is
falling. McLuhan We are experiencing the
electric retribalization of the
world. Cyberculture has become part of the
reconnection of the Great Divide between
science and religion.

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Computers and Eschatology

• Three broad integral themes
• Surveillance
• Broad Networks
• Collapse of Civilization
• Eschatological Interpretations of Cyberculture
  (Signs of the End of Times)
• Surveilllance
• Marks of the Beast smart cards, RFIDs
• Networks
• Common Markets become The Beast itself
• Y2k as Sign of Armageddon and Collapse
• Computer Glitch Leads to TEOTWAWKI The End of
  the World As We Know It

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Y2k Bug as Crucible

• The Y2k computer bug attracted
• both secular and religious millennialists.
• First print reference 2/13/1984 Computerworld
• First USENET reference 1/18/1985 net.bugs,
  net.flame, net.puzzle

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Increased Media Exposure
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USENET forum tpy2k a case study

• Convergence of endism and technology in Y2K
• Originally, tpy2k provided a forum for discussing
  technical issues
• Socio-political and religious issues soon
  overcame the forum, displacing the technical talk
  to a sub-forum.

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Increased Discourse
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More Sociological than Technical

• Month Posts to tpy2k Posts to tpy2k-tech
• Oct 1998 10689 66
• Nov 1998 9034 220
• Dec 1998 12469 149
• Jan 1999 16217 115
• Feb 1999 12601 127
• Mar 1999 12778 62
• Apr 1999 6014 64
• May 1999 8067 23
• Jun 1999 8492 42
• Jul 1999 9378 11
• Aug 1999 10366 12
• Sep 1999 9428 15
• Oct 1999 8061 50
• Nov 1999 8925 10
• Dec 1999 12049 37
• Jan 2000 11022 34
• Feb 2000 2650 11
• Mar 2000 1420 2

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Intense Polarization

• The narratives constructed in tpy2k quickly
  became dichotomous, opposing doom scenarios
  against a non-event.
• Those in the former category were identified as
  doomsayers and those in latter pollyannas.

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Intense Polarization

• Doomers and Pollys had roughly equal
  representation in the group.

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Incivility and Violent Rhetoric

• Arguing ones position became a key
  characteristic of the group. The abusive rhetoric
  (flaming) became fiercer, more degrading, and
  more imaginative.
• Netiquette was thrown to the four
  cyber-winds.

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Psychohistory of the Group
HIGH ANXIETY
- - - C O N F L I C T - - -
BOUNDARYCONSTRUCTION
Slow burn
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The End Has Passed

• When the moment of truth finally came and
  went, it was not the end for the Doomers or the
  Pollys.
• Rather than a disappearance of the doomers,
  there was a slow burn (typical of millenarian
  groups cf. Festinger, 1964 When Prophecy Fails).
  
• The Pollys stayed on (and continue to post to
  the forum today) as a result of the community
  building that occurred.

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Four Broad Conclusions

• It is a mistake to dismiss the influence of
  religion on technology and vice-versa.
• When technologies of violence, war, and
  oppression are instigated by absolutists who use
  signs to predict, or worse yet, create, the
  coming end times that this problem becomes real
  to all involved, not just the true believers.

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Four Broad Conclusions

• We must recognize the polarizing tension that
  these countering social influences produce.
• Polarization which leads to absolutism is
  ultimately culturally damaging.

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Four Broad Conclusions

• We must remember that we cannot take
  apocalypticism too seriously.
• Charles Strozier (Apocalypse, 1994)
• Such modern concreteness about the Book of
  Revelation brings the end times into direct
  connection with modern technology in an almost
  humorous way the dimension of absurdity that
  adheres to literalized end time ideas within a
  modern world may begin to undermine the whole
  elaborate structure.

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Four Broad Conclusions

• Finally, we must recognize that the coincidence
  of these forces helps to shape our world in
  unpredictable ways.
• Acknowledging apocalypticism foregoes the belief
  that our modern civilization is impervious to
  risk and allows us, correspondingly, to be more
  in touch with our humanity.

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Click here for the entire paper Eschatechnology

• Computer Science, Survival and Y2k

Kurt Reymers Department of Social
Sciences Morrisville State College (State
University of New York) sociology.morrisville.edu