Oxide and Friends The Promises of Tech with Scott Hanselman
27 snips
Aug 15, 2025 
In this discussion, Scott Hanselman, a VP at Microsoft known for his focus on open source and web technologies, shares his insights on whether technology has truly delivered on its promises of connection, convenience, and creativity. The hosts explore the nostalgic evolution of tech and its impact on communication, the irony of ads interrupting tech talks, and the complexities of digital identity. They also venture into the challenges of AI in education and the transformative influence of technology on urban life. Throughout, humor and reflection illuminate the topic.
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From Vibe To Produced Talk
- Scott described being coached to turn his natural stand-up-with-code style into a produced TEDx talk and practicing it ~30 times.
- He brought the Commodore 64 onstage spontaneously the morning of the talk, which crystallized the message.
Three Core Promises Of Tech
- The promises of tech he names are connection, convenience, and creativity, framing decades of expectations.
- These promises are both explicit in marketing and implicit in cultural belief about tech's role.
Connectivity Overshoots Its Intent
- Connectivity has overshot its initial promise by linking everyone, including harmful actors, into shared spaces.
- The result is echo chambers and amplified bad decisions driven by easy networked access.
