Understanding the Conflict Between Batch Culture and Event Loop Culture

Introduction

Every few months, we get to watch a tech guy offer an excruciating testimony to grumpy members of Congress. The tech guy tries, with varying degrees of arrogance, to explain his world; the congressmen recite their questions; In the end, no one seems noticeably changed by the experience. There are many ways to understand these interactions (East Coast vs. West Coast, lawyers vs. engineers, political narcissists vs. corporate narcissists), but I think the central conflict is between batch culture and event loop culture.

Explaining Batch Culture

At the beginning of computing, batch processing reigned. You would gather your stack of punch cards, wait in line for your turn at the giant electronic brain, feed it your data and instructions, and then wait minutes or days for its digital gears to generate a response. Each batch had a discrete before and after: you did something, the computer did something, and you went back to collecting punch cards. Then came the cycle of events: the electronic brain, now small and affordable enough to put on your desk!, would wait for you. You would do something (type a key, press a button, or later click a mouse) and it would respond, right there, in the moment, by painting a letter on the screen or starting a video.

Introduction of Event Loop Culture

The website started in batches. It was a delivery platform for mostly static HTML pages. Interactive pages could be created from databases, but the interaction was complicated. Then came JavaScript, a programming language that revolved around its event loop. The online document was no longer there, pathetic and book-like. Every time you moved the mouse, every time you hit a monkey in a commercial, it noticed. And people punched the monkey, and the web became less about documents and more about experience and interaction. By tapping Wordle, skip to the next episode on Netflix, scroll Facebook—Behind every great technological success of the last decade, there is a loop that awaits the user’s contribution. People still make a lot of batches: style programming, of course, but they call it “shell scripting” or “running analytics reports” or “sending email newsletters at 4 am.”

Comparing Batch and Event Loop Culture

Over the years, this fork (batch vs. loop) has become a way I classify the world. Banks are batch, with their slow resolution of accounts at the end of the day. (Oh, they’ll tell you they offer this or that in real time, but when you investigate you’ll find out they store things on magnetic tapes.) Crypto, constantly transacting in response to users sending messages with magic tokens, is much crazier, a reactive, never-ending 24-hour event. Books, which take years to produce and come out long after they are newsworthy, are batches, as are albums. Live streams on TikTok are looped.

Understanding Politics as Batch Processes

Congress, as a policy-making body, is basically a batch. If you have ever seen the Schoolhouse Rock cartoon with the bill on Capitol Hill, you know that our federal government is essentially a very expensive and inefficient content management system for producing legal documents. If you put all the protests, debates, investigations, meetings, and procedures into the CMS, the result is a brilliant law or, every half century or so, even an amendment. Meanwhile, modern technology is pure event looping. This applies not only to the obvious things, like social media and mobile gambling, but also to artificial intelligence. Although it starts with giant batch processes to create models, the result is a loop of events: Ask it to draw a picture of an ocelot surfing, and it’ll draw it, just like that. The loop has room for reaction. The loop is live. The loop is what kids crave.

Tech Executives in Congress: Loop in a Batch World

So, when the Zuckerbergs, Dorseys, and Altmans appear before Congress, I see people looping in a batch world. In their universe, large numbers of humans do billions of little things; tech people look at metrics and dashboards and then build software that reacts to those things. Sometimes evil factions break out among its users with terrible effects in the real world, and they feel bad about it, but that’s just how humans are! The difference between technology and government is that they view time in totally different ways.

Additional Insights and Perspectives

The Impact of Batch Culture

Batch culture, with its discreet before and after, has had a significant impact on various aspects of our society. Here are some insights and perspectives to delve deeper into this topic:

1. Batch culture promotes efficiency and predictability. It allows tasks to be completed in a structured manner, ensuring that each step is carefully executed. However, it can also lead to delays and bottlenecks when dealing with large volumes of data or complex processes.
2. Batch culture is prominent in industries such as finance and manufacturing, where batch processing enables the handling of large volumes of transactions or production runs. This approach allows organizations to streamline their operations and optimize resource allocation.
3. On the downside, batch culture can hinder real-time decision-making and responsiveness. In fast-paced environments, where immediate actions are necessary, relying solely on batch processes may result in missed opportunities or delays in addressing critical issues.
4. Batch culture often aligns with traditional bureaucratic systems, where decisions and actions are carefully planned and executed. This can create a rigid and inflexible organizational structure that struggles to adapt to rapidly changing environments.

The Rise of Event Loop Culture

Event loop culture, on the other hand, has emerged with the advancements in technology and the shift towards interactive and dynamic experiences. Here are some additional insights to explore:

• Event loop culture emphasizes real-time interactions and immediate feedback. It thrives in domains where responsiveness and interactivity are crucial, such as social media platforms, online gaming, and real-time data analytics.
• Event loop culture fosters user engagement and personalization. By continuously collecting and analyzing user data, companies can tailor their products or services to meet individual needs and preferences, leading to enhanced user experiences and increased customer satisfaction.
• However, event loop culture also raises concerns regarding privacy and data security. The constant collection and processing of user data raise questions about the ethical use of personal information and the potential for surveillance and manipulation.
• Event loop culture necessitates a mindset of agility and adaptability. Companies must be able to anticipate and respond to rapidly changing trends and user demands to stay competitive in the dynamic digital landscape.

The Clash Between Batch and Event Loop Culture

The clash between batch culture and event loop culture reflects the broader tension between tradition and innovation, stability and flexibility. Here are some further insights to consider:

1. The conflict between batch and event loop culture is not limited to the tech industry or Congress; it permeates various aspects of our lives. We encounter it in education, where traditional teaching methods clash with interactive e-learning platforms. We see it in the arts, where traditional publishing and distribution models collide with digital content creation and streaming platforms.
2. This clash highlights the challenges faced by organizations and individuals in adapting to the rapidly changing digital landscape. Those who embrace event loop culture and leverage technology to create immersive experiences and personalized interactions are more likely to thrive in the digital age.
3. However, it is essential to strike a balance between batch and event loop approaches. While event loop culture offers immediate gratification and interactivity, there is still a need for structured planning, evaluation, and reflection, which align with batch culture.
4. The clash between batch and event loop culture also underscores the importance of considering the implications of technological advancements on society. It raises questions about the role of regulation and governance in managing the consequences of rapid technological innovation.

In conclusion, the conflict between batch culture and event loop culture is a result of the digital revolution and the shift towards interactive and dynamic experiences. Each culture brings its own advantages and challenges, and finding a balance between the two is crucial in navigating the complex digital landscape. As technology continues to evolve, it is essential to adapt and embrace new approaches while also considering the ethical implications and societal impact. By understanding the clash between batch and event loop culture, we can better navigate the digital age and harness the potential of technology for positive change.

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