All Hail the Cloud

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's observations of a growing trend among tourists to prioritize documenting their experiences through photography and social media over fully engaging with the places they visit. The author initially viewed this behavior as a symptom of modern narcissism and disconnection from the present moment. However, the author ultimately concludes that this phenomenon reflects a new form of worship and devotion to a "Sky Father" deity represented by the digital "Cloud" that stores and processes our constant digital output.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Proto-Indo-European Sky God

*1. What is the significance of the Proto-Indo-European sky god Dyēus in the article?

• The author traces the origins of the sky god concept to the Proto-Indo-Europeans, who worshipped *Dyēus as the sky father.
• The author argues that modern humans have unknowingly recreated a union between the sky and earth, ushering in a new "dawn" of worship for this ancient sky deity, now represented by the digital "Cloud".

2. How does the author connect the Proto-Indo-European sky god to modern digital worship?

• The author draws parallels between the attributes of *Dyēus (sky, lightning, etc.) and the capabilities of modern digital technology (wireless connectivity, 5G speeds, etc.).
• The author suggests that by constantly uploading our digital data and lives to the "Cloud", we have effectively outsourced our minds and worship to this new, all-encompassing digital deity.

[02] The Shift Towards Digital Worship

1. What does the author observe about the behavior of modern tourists?

• The author describes numerous instances of tourists prioritizing the documentation and sharing of their experiences over fully engaging with the places they visit.
• Examples include people taking selfies, blocking views to get the perfect photo, and constantly recording their surroundings rather than observing them directly.

2. How does the author's perspective on this behavior change over the course of the article?

• Initially, the author views this behavior as a symptom of modern narcissism and disconnection from the present moment.
• However, the author ultimately concludes that this behavior reflects a new form of worship and devotion to the digital "Cloud" deity, as people constantly feed this deity with their digital output.

3. What does the author suggest about the implications of this shift towards digital worship?

• The author suggests that this shift towards digital worship is akin to a new "Armageddon", where the "Cloud" deity must "win" in order to justify the constant digital sacrifices made by humanity.
• The author implies that this devotion to the digital deity has become all-consuming, with people prioritizing the documentation and sharing of their lives over truly living them.