Assignment: Howard 199-223
The reading for this week grabbed my attention right away with the title "Technology Changes Rapidly; Humans Don't" because how true it is! My generation is supposed to be tech-savvy, but honestly, I already feel left in the dust. I probably haven't tried very hard to keep up, but in the past few years I have felt overwhelmed by the amount of changes in technology. My iPod is about eight years old and I definitely don't have an iPhone or an iPad. I don't know much about my laptop, just how to use the internet, write a paper, and do a few things on Excel. The only reason I have a Blu-Ray player is because my parents bought me one; I don't know the difference between it and my old DVD player. And I'm only 21 years old. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I'm 30!
Anyway, the reading for this week points out that "online communities are going to change everything." I agree with this completely and can also say that I think they already have. Any product, service, idea, or anything else you could imagine is represented in an online community. However, as Howard points out, this internet revolution will cause a "social networking battlefield" which has already begun.
The issue of copyrights and intellectual property has been present for several years with people illegally downloading files. Also, the dilemma of control versus creativity is important to look at. Firms need control over their employees while at work in order to maximize productivity. On the other side, creativity is vital in many markets and can be attributed to multiple online community membership. The next issue that Howard studies is visual, technological, and new media literacies. Because the internet is expected to be 50 times larger in 2015 than 2006 (Wow!), institutions need to keep up with the literacies that are becoming so popular, like online videos for example. The last area to consider is decision-making contexts for future markets. Howard relates this back to RIBS. I agree that online media is going to have to "sell a quality user experience" that will create a context to "help a person make smart decisions."
After reading this final chapter of Design to Thrive, I am grasping just how much technology affects our everyday lives. Technology is growing and changing exponentially with new things happening everyday. I think back to ten years ago when I was in middle school; I did not have a cell phone, I liked playing outside, and I didn't really know what the Internet was. Today, my 12 year old sister has a cell phone, a Facebook, an iPod, and spends half her time on the Internet. I'm actually really happy that I was born when I was and enjoyed life before the technological revolution.
I agree with you that it is hard to keep up with the many changes in technology that seem to happen frequently. There is so much technology out there that is in several ways, exactly the same, but just made by different companies. It is hard for any human being, especially older generations, to stay abreast of the different technologies. I also agree with the idea that online communities have already changed a lot. Everyone, including businesses and companies are represented in some way in an online community. Online communities today are what keeps people in touch and what allows people to establish personal relationships with others. In the past, meeting someone for coffee or to grab a bite to eat was the way people interacted with one another. I believe online communities will continue to change the way people interact, sell products, and build personal relationships.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the both of you. It is overwhelming how quickly technology has progressed, and I feel like I'm lagging behind with the trends. I don't even know what the difference is between a download and an upload without looking it up online. I guess that's one good thing about technology. I can get an answer fast and easily on the Internet, but seriously, this stuff can be awfully confusing!
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