Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post - Initial 370Z v. 350Z impressions (after 5 days of 370Z ownership)

semtex · 03-16-2009, 08:35 AM

Actually, I do feel the same way about ABS and TC. I don't know how old you are, Shumby, but I started driving long before ABS and TC were commonly available on cars. I think not having those features helped me understand vehicle dynamics much better than I would have if I always had them. As for TVs and cell phones, those are false analogies. You see, there's a big difference between technologies that automate things that we can do for ourselves without too much effort, vs. those that don't. ABS is doing something that we can all do for ourselves. So is TC, and so is SRM. A TV is not automating anything that we can do for ourselves, and neither is a cell phone. It's not like the human body can receive television or cell phone signals on its own. But the human body is perfectly capable of sensing the limits of tire adhesion and modulating the throttle (TC).

I want to be clear though. I'm not anti SRM , or ABS, or TC or whatever. I think all of these technologies are great. Indeed, even though they're doing what humans could do for themselves, they do it with a lot more precision and speed than virtually any human could muster. The only point I'm trying to make is that it'd be a shame if people use these technologies as an excuse to not bother learning these skill-sets manually. This all contributes to the 'dumbing down' of our society. Classic example -- that new technology that Lexus has where some of their cars can parallel park themselves. Okay, cool gadget. But are people going to use it to excuse themselves from ever learning how to parallel park a car? Because you know that some people will, right? Especially if that technology becomes standard on all cars one day. GPS is another example. GPS is a great tool, no doubt. But we have kids growing up right now who have no clue as to how to use a paper map.

Now, in your view, are these good things? Is that empowering progress that should be embraced? Because in my view, anything that makes successive generations less intelligent isn't something that I want to embrace. Accept it? Sure. Use it? Ditto. But I'm not going to be naive and turn a blind eye to the negatives; I'm not going to pretend that it's all pros and no cons. Every technological advancement has a dark side, and it's intellectually dishonest to pretend otherwise. And you know what? If you're really so pro technological advancement, why not advocate the elimination of MT altogether. The 'M' does stand for "manual" after all. There are those who would argue that automatic transmissions are an advancement from manuals, and those of us who insist on buying cars with manuals are just being resistant to technology. Embrace the AT, they might say, it'll empower you.

03-16-2009, 08:35 AM	#58 (permalink)
semtex A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Behind enemy lines Age: 54 Posts: 5,995 Drives: People to drink Rep Power: 32	Actually, I do feel the same way about ABS and TC. I don't know how old you are, Shumby, but I started driving long before ABS and TC were commonly available on cars. I think not having those features helped me understand vehicle dynamics much better than I would have if I always had them. As for TVs and cell phones, those are false analogies. You see, there's a big difference between technologies that automate things that we can do for ourselves without too much effort, vs. those that don't. ABS is doing something that we can all do for ourselves. So is TC, and so is SRM. A TV is not automating anything that we can do for ourselves, and neither is a cell phone. It's not like the human body can receive television or cell phone signals on its own. But the human body is perfectly capable of sensing the limits of tire adhesion and modulating the throttle (TC). I want to be clear though. I'm not anti SRM , or ABS, or TC or whatever. I think all of these technologies are great. Indeed, even though they're doing what humans could do for themselves, they do it with a lot more precision and speed than virtually any human could muster. The only point I'm trying to make is that it'd be a shame if people use these technologies as an excuse to not bother learning these skill-sets manually. This all contributes to the 'dumbing down' of our society. Classic example -- that new technology that Lexus has where some of their cars can parallel park themselves. Okay, cool gadget. But are people going to use it to excuse themselves from ever learning how to parallel park a car? Because you know that some people will, right? Especially if that technology becomes standard on all cars one day. GPS is another example. GPS is a great tool, no doubt. But we have kids growing up right now who have no clue as to how to use a paper map. Now, in your view, are these good things? Is that empowering progress that should be embraced? Because in my view, anything that makes successive generations less intelligent isn't something that I want to embrace. Accept it? Sure. Use it? Ditto. But I'm not going to be naive and turn a blind eye to the negatives; I'm not going to pretend that it's all pros and no cons. Every technological advancement has a dark side, and it's intellectually dishonest to pretend otherwise. And you know what? If you're really so pro technological advancement, why not advocate the elimination of MT altogether. The 'M' does stand for "manual" after all. There are those who would argue that automatic transmissions are an advancement from manuals, and those of us who insist on buying cars with manuals are just being resistant to technology. Embrace the AT, they might say, it'll empower you. __________________ "There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna 316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) \| 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10) Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.