This Rush to Make the Future Happen

Fourteen years ago this week, when I was 16 years old and spending all my spare time memorizing the lyrics to Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hotstepper," John Atkinson was busy penning this "As We See It" essay.

Apparently, JA invented the Internets. Who knew?

Also, he's some sort of oracle:

I suspect, therefore, that quality will be forgotten in this rush to make the future happen. Will new generations, overloaded with information and brought up on a diet of data-reduced audio and MPEG-compressed video, even care about sound quality?

Yikes.

Perhaps, fourteen years from now, future generations, overloaded with information and brought up on a diet of data-reduced crap, will be hungry for something better, something comforting and beautiful and lasting, will strive for quality experiences in every aspect of life...

COMMENTS
Oliver Amnuayphol's picture

Wow--I've kept all of my S'phile back issues and went back for one more look. Right he was, that JA! Maybe I'm just an optimist, but I think there's hope; I'm still fairly young and, even though I know plenty of people my age or younger who don't seem to care about sound quality, I know some who do. And these latter folks aren't exactly what I'd call typical audiophiles, but somehow they've been exposed to the analog gospel, which seems to trigger the search for better sound. And they sure do love the sounds of the vinyls :) There will always be a need and desire for quality, methinks...

Jack Simone's picture

It was destined to be.

john devore's picture

Fourteen years from now someone with a taste for quality, who knows that if it's not all there she won't be satisfied, will reach for an LP, smile at the beautiful cover art, and cue-up some real music.

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