October 8, 2005
This show repeatedly asks what happens when a technical system becomes more complicated than the people and institutions supporting it can manage. Dr. Dave explains why a once dependable firewall lost his recommendation, how a dispute between Internet backbone providers reached ordinary users and why businesses must communicate clearly when a critical product fails. He and Evil Steve also capture major technology history just before the video iPod appeared, debate whether electronic voting needs an auditable paper record and consider whether the Xbox 360 can win developers as well as customers. Lighter moments about Dr. Dave’s hair, a smartphone that first needs to work as a phone and a caller being told that nothing is slower than a feature that does not work keep the show personal and practical.
Proposed air date. The available recordings may not contain the entire broadcast.
Listen to the preserved parts
8 parts, 79:05 total. All preserved transcript parts in this selection have been reviewed for content and sequence. The archive includes show breaks; this is not a verified uninterrupted recording. The air date remains proposed.
Part 1 of 8. Press play to begin.
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Recordings preserved for this date
Regular show: segments
8 recordings · 79:05 total within this version.
Numbered positions are present in sequence. This alone does not prove the show is complete.