More and more faster and faster

One of basic principles of Buddhism is that everything changes.  Usually, we take that to mean that everything falls apart, deteriorates, goes down hill.  With the right time span, I think that idea can be supported in nearly any field.  That principle is one of basics of physics, too: entropy [disorder, aging] always increases, the 2nd law of thermodynamics - things always cool. They never get warmer all by themselves.

However, when it comes to humans, things may run a little differently.  Especially in the short run of, say, a decade or a half-century.  Because we live in a age of research, deliberate tinkering and product development, competition for buyers, fans and voters, there are steady efforts to change things, especially in a way that can be sold as "improvement".  So, at one time, the very idea of typing on a screen and making changes to spelling errors or modifying organization quickly and cleanly, without any white-out fluid, was lovely, revolutionary, wonderful.  Over time, spell checkers, grammar checkers, thesaurus and word count tools, and such tools were developed.  Then, we became accustomed to them and considered them normal and every-day.  

Then, email and nearly instant transmission of text and pictures and charts came along and that got to be old-hat, too.  As more business got to be transacted online, bank cards and Pay-pal and similar tools were used to make more-or-less secure and honest transactions online.  Still, it is difficult to be sure that the other person is really who he says he is and is doing business as he says he is.  Of course, doubtful business and front organizations are not new but doing shopping more quickly, more anonymously and over great distances increases the risk of intrusion, theft or fakery.  So, in the opposite direction from decline and dying, additional tools and practices get introduced and added on.

The modern machines are very fast so they can be fixed to check bank accounts, nationalities, credit records right during a transaction.  They are fast but they are not instantaneous.  As more and more grammatical, financial, legal, medical and other aspects of business are added to the list of partial processes to be completed for business transactions and even communications, even fast machines may take longer to complete all the desired checks and balances and verifications requested.  So, the next time your computer takes forever to update its virus protection, its operating system while accessing your bank, which is also updating its resources, you can use the slowdown to meditate and to appreciate all the extras that are being performed for you.