I would over-simplify this by saying true innovation is being killed by popular social media in general. The real reason for pointing to Facebook and similar sites is that, popular media focuses all its attention on these sites, and so, then, do investors. But why isn't extreme tech cool? Why can't groups like SpaceX get the same wave of investors and popular media support that an app like Twitter can get? In particular, I think project like SpaceX need to be better supported and more visible so the level of quality embedded in their processes is as high as possible.
"Give the people what they want" is fine, but what if they don't know what they want? What if, more than yet another way to splash pictures of their dog in a dress across the Internet, they really want to see experience their web browser in full immersion VR? Or fold their computer into the shape of a pocket map after their done teleconferencing with Tokyo? I love my LAMP as much as the next guy (though my P has been more R(uby) of late), but come on, simple isn't always better, and that goes for code as well as ideas.
That's my beef. Not with Facebook or Twitter specifically, but with the continued support of mundane ideas rather than ideas that will put us into other solar systems, or computing at the quantum level.
Investors/media/most people are not leaders. Facebook and the social space is interesting right now because it is already a proven business model, so everyone is trying to take their last piece of the pie before it becomes an established industry.
Nobody has really showed the promise of making millions flying to space yet. When they do, money and media attention will start to flow in that direction and everyone will start fighting for their share of that market pie.
Nobody cares about the idea, just how much money it is going to make them. Right now, it is unknown if you will ever make money going to space. It wasn't that long ago that some brave people were making social networking websites that nobody cared about or wanted to invest in.
"Give the people what they want" is fine, but what if they don't know what they want? What if, more than yet another way to splash pictures of their dog in a dress across the Internet, they really want to see experience their web browser in full immersion VR? Or fold their computer into the shape of a pocket map after their done teleconferencing with Tokyo? I love my LAMP as much as the next guy (though my P has been more R(uby) of late), but come on, simple isn't always better, and that goes for code as well as ideas.
That's my beef. Not with Facebook or Twitter specifically, but with the continued support of mundane ideas rather than ideas that will put us into other solar systems, or computing at the quantum level.