Eschatechnology:Computer Science, Survival and Y2k

Kurt ReymersDepartment of Social Sciences

Morrisville State College (State University of New York)

sociology.morrisville.edu

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

Computers and Eschatology

Convergence of eschatology and modernity(Eschatology =  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.

Computers and EschatologyThree 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 CollapseComputer Glitch Leads to TEOTWAWKI – The End of the World As We Know It

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

Increased Media Exposure

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.

Increased Discourse

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• Apr 2000 1609 1

Number of posts by month, October 1998-April 2000, tpy2k vs. tpy2k-tech

More Sociological than Technical

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.”

Intense Polarization

Doomers and Pollys had roughly equal representation in the group.

Incivility and Violent Rhetoric

Arguing one’s 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.

Psychohistory of the Group

HIGH ANXIETY

Slow burn

BOUNDARYCONSTRUCTION

- - - C O N F L I C T - - -

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.

Four Broad Conclusions

1) 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.

Four Broad Conclusions

2) We must recognize the polarizing tension that these countering social influences produce.

Polarization which leads to absolutism is ultimately culturally damaging.

Four Broad Conclusions

3) 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.”

Four Broad Conclusions

4) 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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Eschatechnology:Computer Science, Survival and Y2k

Kurt ReymersDepartment of Social Sciences

Morrisville State College (State University of New York)

sociology.morrisville.edu