TECHNOLOGY CREATES CREATIVITY 

As technology swirls around the world, reactions are rising against it. The reactions follow similar patterns no matter where the technological invasion occurs, and local creativity continously comes up with more ingenius tactics to by-pass or minimize objections. The home satellite dish, now reasonably-priced, allows people to pick up at least 150 channels in North America for between $2,000 and $4,000. Bob Cooper of Tulsa, Oklahoma showed the world how to erect such dishes for pennies in the 1970s, when such "earth stations" were costing around $50,000.

For the past decade I have had my own satellite dish and so am able to comment from first-hand information on the patterns past, present and future in countries now starting to profit from the universality of this technology.

The first personal satellite dishes were crowd-attracters. Mechanical types, "techies" and the newly-emerging computer buffs enthused over the possibilities when their then-fledgling computers could be hooked directly into such mind-stretching hardware. Then the government moved in totally unaware of what was going on, what potential there was, and how the technology was going to develop. Francis Fox, then-Federal Minister of Communications, actually banned personal ownership and use of such devilish apparitions.

Early in this "dark age of communications" the RCMP advised me that I couldn't have such a dish. I tried to find out what was illegal and still don't know. The visiting RCMP officer wasn't even aware of what it could do. I said I would move my operation to the U.S. if necessary. I actually obtained an option on a modern-day log cabin Pan-A-Bode, ( it would have looked great on TV) located just 28 feet across the border at Point Roberts, Washington. I wanted to have a spot where Canadian TV crews could mount cameras within Canada and be able to see across the border to show Canadians what their government was doing to keep jobs in Canada. Apparently, something happened because nobody has bothered me since. Even when I set up additional dishes. I was probably helped by then-Socred Science Minister Pat McGeer who put his own dish up on the Provincial Parliament lawn and invited arrest. His courage was noted around the communications world. Nothing happened to him either.

Now the same pattern in England. During the last year the much smaller satellite dishes there (due both to technological improvements and the fact that Britain is smaller than North America) have been springing up like mushrooms. Municipal councils reacted as they did here and drew up by-laws to prevent such "monstrosities" from blighting their "perfect" towns.

The London borough of Sutton has reacted even more violently (the recent increased violence in England will be a playground for sociologists for decades). Councillors say, "homowners remove your dishes within four weeks or you will lose your home!" Bit drastic for old Blighty, isn't it? They brought up the same old, worn angles used elsewhere. The dishes were said to be ugly (these dishes are one metre in diameter) and could damage council property in a high wind.

The reason for the sudden influx of dishes is Rupert Murdoch's Sky Television transponders which began beaming broadcasts to Great Britain aboard Luxembourg's Astra satellite on April 29, 1990. Sutton has a cable franchise holder, United Cable, and under British federal law will supply such programs via cable. Slight problem: they won't get around to it for four years. As you know when people want television, they want it NOW. Grounds for conflict abound. The Council says to apply for a building permit and we might consider it. The permit is the same used for the largest office buildings in town.

Such Luddite reactions help in many ways and makes a good portion of the population more creative. Expect to see similar avoidance action as appeared here: Dishes erected in the form of inverted backyard table umbrellas, garden "gnomes" wearing inverted Mexican sombreros and bird baths designed for non-gravity situations.

Stupid political action in Britain, Canada, the United States and elsewhere keeps cartoonists off the dole, as they say in Britain.

* * *

< previous | chapter index | next >
back to Main Chapter Listing
back to Home Page