Hello anyone and everyone. For the sake of providing context to this blog among other things, I'm a Writing Center Director who teaches writing and reading courses at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. This semester we are rolling out a new online database and scheduler, so soon I will be up to my elbows in technology.
These things come to mind when I think about the word “technology”: techne, radiohead, that song that kip sings at the end of napoleon dynamite, texting, IM, and helping my co-workers attach files to their email. Also, cell phones, flat-screen televisions, and automated voices at the other end of 1-800 number phone calls.
A friend of mine likes to theorize. He postulates that paradoxically as technology brings people from far distances together, it can come between people already close in proximity. For example, on the bus why talk to the person next to if you can call your friend on the cell phone. Why talk to someone in the waiting room at the doctor's office when you can text your bff? (mp3 player at the airport, dvd player in the car, etc. etc.) Not a ground-shattering idea this theory, but it comes to mind when thinking about technology. Techne lite.
Rambling on, for some reason in the workplace, young people seem to be responsible for explaining technology to everyone else. Q: Why did my computer do this? A: Because you told it to.
In Don Quixote when something seemingly inexplicable occurs, inevitably The Knight of the Sorrowful Face explains it as magic. Technology is the new magic. James Bond uses gadgets from Q where in King Arthur, Lancelot might find something enchanted by Merlin useful. Q: But that's not what I wanted it to do. A: Must have been magic. Call IT.
2 comments:
"I love technology . . . always and forever." I always find myself singing that song when I'm happy with technology (i.e. it's working right!)
Your friend's theory is interesting. I am amazed at how technology (such as webcam, photo sharing software, blogs etc.) has brought me closer to long distance friends and family. But it definitely affects communication when you're in closer proximity to people. Like emailing your co-worker who is sitting right next to you. Hmmmm.
I've had that happen to me--we use Microsoft Communicator (it's pretty much the same as MSN messenger except it's for businesses and it's a little more basic) where I work and I've had co-workers IM questions to me when they could have walked 5 feet over to my cube. Sometimes it's hard to explain things in an email or IM, so they'll end up coming over to talk in person anyway!
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