On 29 Nov 97 at 14:45, Barbara Golden wrote:
> Information creates the world, the world creates information.
>
> The way we seek information has changed drastically with internet, video
> conferencing and other technologies. Information "just arrived" in the past
> with little invitation. Today we choose what we hear.
I always feel a bit wistful when I read things like this, because I
don't think they are factually correct, and I wonder at whether
people take any notice of the effects/lack thereof of any mass
technology.
There is a level of choice on the internet which equates to most
other mediums....no more...no less. We can choose our internet
channels, but not the content, much like television. We can choose to
research (as we would in a library). Does the internet make some
things easier? Sure. Much easier? No. More choice...in a limited
sense...maybe more in the future. Every technology brings new
options, and new problems. More choices, even if they occur, can be
problematic.
> Choice will make a big difference, especially when we as humans see that we
> are all one, that we are all linked, and what I do immediately affects
> everyone else.
History tells us that this has never happened with any technology
from the printing press on up. Technology is socially neutral...while
it shapes our perceptions an inch in one direction or another, it
doesn't have the profound effects that are forcast in social terms.
Technology is and will continue to be used to bring people together,
and to blow people apart--to promote understanding and to promote
bigotry. To help us learn and to help us waste time when we could be
learning.
When we know how we are connected, we will discern and we will
> demand information that empowers, that focuses on others rather than on what
> we alone can gain. We will choose and use information that causes sharing
> rather than competing. If that day is today, management has already changed.
> If it is tomorrow, let it begin!
I admire the positive tone, but do not admire the naivety involved
here, or the lack of historical context. I think it is harmful to
anticipate certain kinds of outcomes when history tells us otherwise.
I think it distracts us from figuring out what and how we can use
technology in a meaningful realizable way...and not treat it like the
hammer which can be used to smack every problem in sight.
I haven't seen Charlie's original question and would be glad to
answer it when I have more time.
Public Sector Manager Newsletter Online is available at
http://www.escape.ca/~rbacal/psm.htm. Articles archive at:
http://www.escape.ca/~rbacal/articles.htm .
Bacal & Associates
rbacal@escape.ca