Ways cities are like computers
July 8 2012, 2:54 PM
Cities are like computers in a number of ways. You could say that while
computers process data, cities process people. But people also use cities,
like people use computers. Cities are different in that respect. Cities off functionality to people. They offer services, from defense to
places of worship to access to water. As technology increased, they offered
access to sewage and electricity and to roads. Cities also offer access to
storage. Computers offer resources to people and their data, including different
types of processing and storage. Computers also offer high speed networks
and antivirus software and firewalls. Computers have non-functional or qualitative aspects as well. Some are fast
and are always available while others are not. Cities have qualitative aspects too. Some are noisy and polluted and ugly,
and others are not. People go from one computer to another because the new computer can do
more. Likewise someone may move from a small town or city to a big city
because thet can do more: give them access to a better job, better culture
and entertainment, better living conditions. People may drift from city to
city, or may feel a city is irrelevant to them, but most people consciously
consider the capabilities of a city before they move there. And once they
get there, they put the city to work for them. Thanks for reading my rough notes.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Handheld.
computers process data, cities process people. But people also use cities,
like people use computers. Cities are different in that respect. Cities off functionality to people. They offer services, from defense to
places of worship to access to water. As technology increased, they offered
access to sewage and electricity and to roads. Cities also offer access to
storage. Computers offer resources to people and their data, including different
types of processing and storage. Computers also offer high speed networks
and antivirus software and firewalls. Computers have non-functional or qualitative aspects as well. Some are fast
and are always available while others are not. Cities have qualitative aspects too. Some are noisy and polluted and ugly,
and others are not. People go from one computer to another because the new computer can do
more. Likewise someone may move from a small town or city to a big city
because thet can do more: give them access to a better job, better culture
and entertainment, better living conditions. People may drift from city to
city, or may feel a city is irrelevant to them, but most people consciously
consider the capabilities of a city before they move there. And once they
get there, they put the city to work for them. Thanks for reading my rough notes.
-----------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Handheld.