Far Reaching Impact

Today I was thinking about a video (4 Generations) that I watched several months ago. It tells the tale of a family in China who receive a water buffalo. Four generations in this family are affected by this gift. The great-grandmother is brought to tears. When thinking about this family on the other side of the world, I wonder how technology and this digital "world" affects them. They will never see a computer, a light bulb, a refrigerator...

Then, I realized that I wouldn't even know about this family if it weren't for technology. I can't even put in words the impact this story (and the technology that brought it to me) has had on me.

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It's Good Enough

I've been thinking about this attitudinal comment a lot during the past few weeks. When it comes to technology, a lot of people think that what they are doing is "good enough." I thought so. Now I realize how neglectful that comment really is. It is another case of the "Ignorance is bliss" syndrome. I was pretty satisfied with my computer knowledge and capabilities. I was able to do the basics. Now I realize that the basics characterized me as incompetent.

So, how does one move from this "good enough" mentality to one of choice and change? Dr. Lucia Murphy (author of LeaderSpeak: 7 Conversations that Create Sustainable Success) suggests four steps:

1. Recast the Past - focus on your accomplishments rather than dwelling on injustices, slights and hardships

2. Reconsider the Present - Consider alternatives and monitor behavior patterns.

3. Re-envision the Future - Get the big picture: clarity of vision, deep sense of desire and willingness to do what you need to do

4. Start Short - Go beyond "good enough" with courage (to think, feel,change, fail)

When I read Dr. Lucia's article, it amazed me how much this little phrase "good enough" affects so many of us. The "older" generation is constantly being looked upon as unwilling to change and learn because what they do now is "good enough." Envisioning a dynamic future for our culture is going to take a collaborative effort.

There is even a "good enough" approach in the computer world for software and systems design. Wikipedia defines it as The Principle of Good Enough (or POGE) which "favors quick-and-simple (but potentially extensible) designs over elaborate systems designed by committees. Once the quick-and-simple design is deployed, it can then evolve as needed, driven by user requirements." This paradigm has been confused and misused by some. See: "Good Enough Quality: Beyond the Buzz Word" by James Bach

We are in a time when "good enough" is not "good enough."

Mingling Minds

min·gle (mnggl)
v. min·gled, min·gling, min·gles
v.tr.
1. To mix or bring together in combination, usually without loss of individual characteristics.
2. To mix so that the components become united; merge.
v.intr.
1. To be or become mixed or united.
2. To join or take part with others

(Merriam-Webster On-line)

Social bookmarking is a new concept for me but one that is also quite intriguing. In the field of education, finding the time to share information is an enormous task. With lesson planning, meetings, grading, phone calls, email and other daily tasks, actually talking to a colleague falls to the bottom of the list.

Social bookmarking provides networking possibilities to encourage communication of resources and information among a variety of groups of people. The use of social bookmarking could help to develop a common vocabulary and consistency in information. In addition, the people in the network are charged with making the decisions about what is bookmarked which brings numerous benefits. First, people bring different perspectives, different ways of "seeing", to a particular topic. Widening the ideas of others allows for growth and change. Second, although many people have lost the face-to-face interactions with others, social bookmarking allows a person to gain knowledge about the individual interests of a person by taking note of themes that run throughout the bookmarks. Finally, social bookmarking saves time. With the world of technology (literally) at our fingertips, collaboration is key. The impact technology has on our daily lives will allow for revolutionary changes in understanding our world.

I have certainly begun to master the art of mingling at this on-line technology party.

Polite Word for Deception

Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson begin UnSpun: finding facts in a world of [disinformation] by stating, "We live in a world of spin." Just think about the amount of "spin" that must be impacting our society. Understanding that all information is interpreted by the person through their own past experiences, an understanding of "truth" seems unattainable.

If people are allowed to create their own reality by putting "spin" on information (whether or not that "spin" was deliberate or innocent), I wonder how can we know what to believe? Is it possible that this is a defense mechanism to help us survive or is it our own path to destruction?

At first glance the use of technology and the use of information are parallel tracks sometimes crossing paths. However, they run much more closely than many would imagine. Has technology perpetuated this culture of "disinformation" to a point in which too many people have to much incorrect information? It is a problem when people become so confident that this misinformation becomes reality ultimately affecting relationships: professional and personal.

Is technology the bad guy? I don't think so. As the authors of the book state, it is all about choosing the right standard of proof, respecting facts, and staying "unspun."

"You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to you own facts." - the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (New York)

Bliss

"To each his sufferings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan—
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own.
Yet, ah! why should they know their fate,
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies?
Thought would destroy their Paradise.
No more;—where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise."

My seventh grade English teacher often quoted Thomas Gray's line from "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College" by sarcastically suggesting that, "Ignorance is bliss." I didn't truly understand what he meant until I got a little older, but enrolling in LIS2600 certainly brought a new understanding to those three words. In two weeks I have such a new appreciation for technology. At times I wondered how long I would have been able to stay in the land of technological ignorance. Bliss has been quite appealing. Now, I believe I'm in the crisis stage of a huge paradigm shift in regards to my understanding of what "bliss" really is. The tools that I have used (blog, discussion board, coursecasts, webcasts, podcasts, rss feeds, etc.) would have put a huge damper on my idea of "bliss" before these two weeks of crisis. Now "bliss" is quite different to me. These tools have opened new worlds to me -- who would have known? Lighting the way to new possibilities..."Tis folly to be wise."