Sometimes the greatest truths make no sense. That’s not just a paradox, it’s also the definition of one.Here is a list of paradoxes about the modern world of technology and work. Besides providing work-type entertainment, this list is intended to make a larger point about contending with the great technological changes of our time: When you’re in a landscape of technological novelty as dramatically different as ours is from even the recent past , locating the major landmarks can be a challenge.
Finding the truth at the heart of certain contradictions may be the best way to move forward. Here are some attempts at new ways of seeing, via illuminating paradoxes:The big clouds are global computing systems with over a million servers apiece, cleverly networked to represent millions more computers. At any given time, millions and billions of people are diving in and out of these systems, enjoying their email, their version of the internet, their business experience, etc.
By comparison, servers and PCs, sold individually by the millions, have traditionally delivered impersonal experiences. The more individualized experiences that we enjoy through these devices today derive largely from the connection of servers and PCs to the cloud, infusing what was limited and cold with unbounded potential for customization.