This blog entry by Frederik Pohl is really poignant for me because the event he recalls is just months after my birth, and to hear about his great optimism for the large companies of the time and their benefit to society is a bit of a shock. (I don’t want to quote large sections here, but rather you should go read it if you’re so inclined.)
Reading his thoughts, it certainly seemed to be well-placed optimism. So where did things go so wrong? Because in my lifetime those companies have certainly gone 180 and I think we’re far worse off for it. Pohl’s recollection of how they used to be seems like an ideal template for how they should be.
