In this heady age of rapid technological change, we all struggle to maintain our bearings. The developments that unfold each day in communications and computing can be thrilling and disorienting. One understandable reaction is to wonder: Are these changes good or bad? Should we welcome or fear them?
The answer is both. Technology is making life more convenient and enjoyable, and many of us healthier, wealthier, and wiser as a result. But it is also affecting work, family, and the economy in unpredictable ways, introducing new forms of tension and distraction, and posing new threats to the cohesion of our physical communities.
The answer is both. Technology is making life more convenient and enjoyable, and many of us healthier, wealthier, and wiser as a result. But it is also affecting work, family, and the economy in unpredictable ways, introducing new forms of tension and distraction, and posing new threats to the cohesion of our physical communities.
Despite the complicated and often contradictory implications of technology, the conventional wisdom is woefully simplistic. Pundits, politicians, and self-appointed visionaries do us a disservice when they try to reduce these complexities to tales of either high-tech doom or cyber-elation. Such polarised thinking leads to dashed hopes and unnecessary anxiety, and prevents us from understanding our own culture. How many of us have seen IT systems installed as the answer to all our prayers, only to find it the devil itself.
APA would like to know your thoughts on common technologies used in business and how we can implement change, acceptance and develop a shared vision for the future.
Gareth
APA Members can view a thought paper titled 'Technorealism' within the Knowledge Zone of the Member's Area of the APA Website. Technorealism demands that we think critically about the role that tools and interfaces play in human evolution and everyday life.
6 comments:
Can anybody tell me why Microsoft Vista keeps minimising my viewing screen? I can be in the middle of a letter in Word or surfing the net and it disappears to the task bar. Is this usual or is there a glitch somewhere in my system - it's very annoying.
My own IT people look at me as if I come from another planet because it is never replicatable when they are here!!!!
I like this Blog - really useful.
I am a professor at a Swedish University studying language and the ways it is used between groups. I believe people who 'aspire' to be seen as specialists or experts (in this case, technologists) use their languages in a way they believe impresses others - I must be cleverer than you becasue I know words that you do not know. The reality is often that people switch off when experts are unable to communicate with them.
The ultimate lango-nurd (apologies, I just made that up :-) makes up words to expand their otherwise deficient language and appear expert.
Lawyers are a perfect example of this, and medical doctors used to be, where they use complex phrases or even latin words to be appear intellectually superior.
True experts are peole who understand their subject so completely that they are able to explain it in a way anyone can understand.
So my advice to you would be to send your techies away and tell them that they will only gain your respect (as a professional PA) when they can talk to you in a way that you understand.
I would welcome to hear from others who experience similar problems and know how they solve these issues.
Dear Prof. Johansson,
Thank you for your blog, it is extremely interesting and very easy to understand ;-) I am sure APA Members and Blog readers would be fascinated to learn more or maybe even participate in your research. Perhaps you would contact me at gareth.osborne@paprofessional.com and we can explore this further.
I love, love , love Truda's response and used it on Friday! It works a treat!
I was asked by my Boss to find out from our ITech Director why we were having a recurring problem with our customer data management system. His response was totally unintelligible, so I asked him (nicely) if he would mind returning when he could explain something I, and the MD, could understand. You could visibly see him trying to compute the response and walked off muttering to himself. He hasn't returned yet but I sent him a chaser email before leaving on Friday. I can't wait til tomorrow!
Does anyone have an email for Truda? I would love to get in touch.
Kate, if you would care to email me (address in amy reply to Truda above) I will happily let you have Truda's contact.
She also tells me she is in Linked in but I haven't located her yet.
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