The year 2016 in tech is memorable, and hardly in a good way. Furthermore, in many ways, everything that could go wrong did. So here are five highlights (if you want to call them that) in the industry. 2016 in tech: Stop the madness!
First of all, there was the crazy election. Nearly everyone in Silicon Valley opposed Donald Trump. Then came Peter Thiel, the only Trump supporter in the area. But Thiel was pretty much ostracized for his support of Trump. Silicon Valley’s attacks on Trump were brutal. So was the egg on their faces when Trump won on November 8. But peace seems to be near. In December, Trump and Silicon Valley leaders met. Will they work together in 2017? Or will tensions get worse?
Also, there’s the Samsung Galaxy 7 Note disaster. No, 2016 in tech hasn’t been good to Samsung at all. Between September and October, these phones caused 3rd degree burns. They set homes on fire. Then, they forced airplanes to come back. And another thing…Samsung’s washing machines were a failure. But they’re planning a comeback with new products. Will Samsung comeback in 2017?
One celebrity that wants to forget 2016 in tech is Leslie Jones. This should have been the year of her life. But instead, she found herself the subject of racist trolling. It got so bad she had to shut her Twitter account down. This forced Twitter to tighten their laws when it comes to bullying and harassment. Twitter even banned a famous online personality. Did Twitter do the right thing? Or is too much political correctness?
And then there’s the Pokemon Go craze. We played it in our computer service shop on occasion. Don’t judge us: they even played Pokemon Go at church! Sounds like innocent fun, doesn’t it? Well, not so much. Drivers got into car accidents looking for Pokemon. Pedestrians put themselves in danger. Also, criminals used Pokemon Go to lure victims for robbery and assault. Homeowners even shot trespassers looking for Pokemon! So I ask again: Is Pokemon Go innocent?
In the wake of the election, many in the the tech community declared war on…ahem…’fake news‘. What does this have to do with 2016 in tech? Much! What they’re really doing is declaring a war on alternative media. They blame alternative media for Trump’s win over Hilary Clinton. Well, most alternative media comes from social media sites. Furthermore, they come from blogs and other online resources. But wait…there’s more. Fewer people trust mainstream media. Their ratings show it. And they’re losing money. More people seek online alternative news than ever before, including people in IT support. Will this trend continue in 2017?
What are your most memorable tech moments of 2016?