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"Cyberpunk worked when the Internet was in its hand-wound crystal radio phase, when you had to be a sort of hobbyist to do e-mail, and it all had a very steep learning curve. Those days are over."
- William Gibson
 |
| Monobloc Dating System | ||
| A kind of pub with unique hardware and software for computer dating. |
In this story, Niven has created another variation on the theme of extended life. Drugs with true anti-geriatric properties are in common use, but cosmetic options are less well developed. It is hard to know someone's true age; the Monobloc dating system provided a local area network version of online dating.
| "Am I cramping your style?" "No problem. Nobody hurries in the Monobloc. If you see someone you like -" My fingers danced over the lighted symbols on the edge of the table. "This gets you a map. Locate where she's sitting, put the cursor on it. That gets you a display...hmm." I'd set the cursor on the white haired lady. I liked the readout. |
| Technovelgy from The Best of all Possible Wars,
by Larry Niven. Published by Baen Books in 1998 Additional resources -
|
In this era, people in their eighties still date actively; the software just gives them a little bit more information to go on before asking someone out on a date.
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