Daemon and Project Glass

I love it when science fiction becomes reality - sometimes, anyway. Especially when that speculative gizmo may just make everyone be a bit better behaved.

One of the most clever conceits of Daniel Suarez's books, Daemon and Freedom(TM) is the goggles that let the characters peer into D-space, a virtual reality interface*. As I picture these devices, they look a lot like Google's Project Glass:

While the Project Glass video emphasizes navigation and direct communication, Suarez has a far more intriguing use for his glasses. In D-space, a "rating" appears over the heads of those with whom the wearer is interacting. This rating, from one to five stars, is that individual's reputation and the number of interactions on which it is based. After any transaction, each person has the ability to "rate" the other based on integrity, honesty, etc. It's the personal equivalent of TripAdvior, Angie's List, Rate My Teachers. or a seller's rating on eBay.

We should all be increasingly mindful of our digital reputations. Those with whom we interact have increasingly powerful ways of communicating to others whether they'd do business with us again. And this will be a life-long understanding our students will need to internalize as well. 

Fair warining: next time you see me wearing a pair of glasses and staring over your head, I might just be checking out your credit rating, last workplace performance evaluation, or titles of the last three books read. Watch it!

Might technology make us all more ethical?

* Yes, I know the Terminator had this display nearly 20 years ago. But remember, he was from the future.

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