I agree. You see the same thing in music. On the one hand, you could now write, record & release a very professional sounding album in your basement. But the ubiquitous Pro Tools software has, according to some experts, led to the homogenization of music that we now have.
I have seen several threads in these forums regarding music. So far I have been able to resist commenting on what has happened to the art form. Way back in the fog of my memory I recall debates on electric guitars being real instruments, and the MOOG, and I clearly remember one or two outrages over the first electronic drum kits.
At least there were HUMANS operating these instruments.
And then there are CDs and MP3s ...
About homogenization in other areas, I already mentioned CAD (but not everything I have to say about CAD and the GoofBalls running the programs, not by a long shot).
Remember when desktop publishing first came out? It wasn't difficult to figure out not only if the 'work' was done on Mac or PC but which particular program was used.
I mentioned photography. With digital dark rooms just about anyone can be a master, or at least proficient, in finishing. I've seen it written if the image is saved as raw data the 'picture can be taken again'. Coming from the land of film and chemicals many times I feel I'm not 'taking a picture' the first time.
And .....
Plus, the exchange of information we have now it great in lots of ways
Something about this exchange of information, out of your context, let's say I never heard of Pro Tools before. In a short amount of time I could find and read their web site, cruise music forums, read reviews, and author a post that would appear to speak from authority and experience. Heck, I could make people think I have the latest and greatest in the basement right now.
All this easy access to information creates allot of posers.
Back to you:
but I think some regional distinctions have been lost. There used to be a "Seattle Sound" in music, region styles in architecture and lots of local flavors of food.
Regional?
??
A Several years ago a couple co-workers and myself were having a conversation about music. One guy was in his mid 50s and the other in his mid 20s. The kid had no real idea what kind of music there was and is because he grew up listening to top 40 Urban music. I'm sure there are many counterparts to the kid in/with every distinct genre of music. Radio play has become so segmented one could go what, their entire life?, without being exposed to something 'different'. The older Gent and I were explaining how many top 40 stations use to play just about everything, last song could have been rock, this song country, next song an instrumental, and so on.
We're segmenting ourselves into narrower demographics.
Wheres this going with technology ... Enter Satellite Radio. When I was a kid the Family would pack up the tent and go road tripping for a week or two. Go an hour or so and we were looking for another radio station. Go a day and it was apparent we were not near home anymore.
Now we can cross the country, if not the world, and listen to the exact same thing we can hear at home. Fact I've seen SR advertised as taking home with you. What's the point of going all the way out there if your trying to recreate what you have here?
Also in our road trips when I was a kid I noticed that we get part of a day away from home and the places just didn't look the same, get a day out and , WOW , The buildings and architecture sure is different.
Last year Wife and I drove from Ohio to Florida on the east track and from Florida to Ohio leaning west. Mc Houses, Mc Plazas, Mc Architecture. Wife, who doesn't usually comment on such things, commented on this. And then a couple of months ago we went to Columbus. She said how she saw the same things in Florida.
It's not that were losing our regional distinctions in Arts, it seems we're becoming the same bland pap everywhere.
I'm not a Luddite (or what that word has come to mean), GOLLY, I HAVE TECHNOLOGY DEGREES!!!!! I would be cutting my own throat by trying to stop advancements or tying to turn back the clock.
It's that not all new things are good, not all old things are bad or outdated, and if I don't get the grass cut Wife is going to Geld me.