a cultural critique
The broad acceptance of digital technology—the personal computer, in particular—creates a social breach between those who have access and those who do not. Access is not only a function of being able to buy a PC, but also a function of being able to operate the machine efficiently.
Being away does not mean being gone.
Always on is not always good.
Skills not practiced are lost.
Accessibility is the hallmark of the internet.
It is in noting the distinctions that I understand the differences.
The first distinction, for most personal computer users, is one of hardware and software: Microsoft Windows or Macintosh, IBM-style or Apple. Is the computer one that runs Microsoft Windows or Mac OS (operating system)? Fundamentally, is it one made of nonproprietary components, capable of running multiple operating systems (i.e. DOS, Windows, Linux, and Solaris)? Is the system designed specifically to operate the hardware vendor’s operating system, Mac OS, an operating system that, interestingly, is based on the open source Linux operating system?
I may not have caused the problem, but I am willing to repair the problem.
How well do users accept responsibility for the perceived complexity of digital systems?
Although I judge that popular digital computers are less secure and more difficult to use than they could easily otherwise be, primarily because buyers are swayed in their decision making by marketing influences, I also judge that most end users don’t accept sufficient responsibility to learn the nuances, strengths, and weaknesses of the systems that purchase or use.
Everything doesn’t go right, the first time.
It is difficult to accept digital failures and the all-too-often human failure to properly use digital technology as it was designed to be used.
Communication is the heart of all relationships.
Weblogs—blogs—are a product of the need to make it easier to publish on the web. For the less technically adept user, blogs are a venue to online publishing that requires almost no special training. I have read many articles that describe blogs as a source for writers, web publishers. When I discuss blogs with adult university students, especially business management majors, a common reaction is that the blogging software is a facilitation tool that the could use to build web content without leaning heavily on the support of information systems staff or contract computer advisors or webmasters.
“A stitch in time saves nine.” –Benjamin Franklin
How technology affects us, so do we behave.
Before taking action, one must know what needs to be done.
Growth is a slow, constant process, punctuated by short periods of extraordinary change.
I am writing a new book, the working title of which is Digitalis Americana: How the Personal Computer Changes the Face of America.
As I transfer my book from my writer’s notebook to my digital notebook, I will post sections to this blog; I look forward to your constructive feedback in the comments section of each post.
