The second self
by Sherry Turkle · first published 1984
6mentions
3recommended by
6HN commenters
2011–2023first – last mentioned
50% recommend33% neutral17% critical
Examines the effect of the new "computer culture" on both children and adults and theorizes that computers are responsible for the new wave of mechanical determinism and a revival of mysticism and spirituality.
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…it transformational, others aren't so excited. I haven't read the others on the list so don't mean to be dissing them, just don't have any first-hand experience. I'd also add - Sherry Turkle's The Second Self - Geoffrey Miller's Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado (a different Geoffrey Miller than the one in the original list :) ) - Rita McGrath and Ian MacMillan, The Entrepreneurial Mindset
on “Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read” ↗Some good books on the topic are "The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder or "The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit" by Sherry Turkle. As for the podcast, I’ve heard good things on "The Bits from Bytes History of Computing Podcast" by Richard Haynes.
on “Ask HN: What are you favourite books/podcasts/media on the history of computing?” ↗…w3m to read news is another. You can use something like UserLand to run w3m on a phone, and the terminal program is pretty slick. I've been reading older books on computing on open library, like "The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit" written in 1984 by Sherry Turkle and it's fascinating to see the questions people were asking back them. My favorite quote from that so far is this: "That question is…
on “It's not just you – no one is posting on social media anymore” ↗That's more or less the thesis of Sherry Turkle's recent book Alone Together, which you might find interesting. It's also interesting because Turkle was quite techo-optimist in the '80s; The Second Self (1984) was much more positive on the role of computers (and things like the then-new BBS scene) for interpersonal relationships.
on “Ask HN: I had more friends before Facebook. Anyone agree?” ↗This is not a recent phenomenon. Even in the 80s it had a negative connotation, fueled mostly, I think, by Sherry Turkle's The Second Self (I wonder how many young hackers are aware of that infamous book) where the hacker culture was shown to be macho, masochistic, and closed, see Sex/Machine (http://books.google.com/books?id=vo5b6XA2F30C&lpg=PA369&...)…
on “Geohot Chimes In” ↗In her book The Second Self, Sherry Turkle wrote that the MIT AI Lab hackers were "loners who are never alone".
on “Computer geeks as loners? Data says otherwise” ↗