babble babble (techology is a good thing, "inevitability" is a bad thing)

I think the chapters in the Information Ecologies book was interesting. I agree that more people should join the debate about technology and where it is headed, instead of finding it inevitable, even if they don't know all the issues. If they don't make an effort, they will never learn enough to be a real participant.

The authors complain about how the two extremes, the technophiles and technophobes (dystopians), take the lead in the debates. I think this is normal and can be seen in debate in all topics, not just technology. The extremes have the most vehement opinions, and often are more well read up on the issues they feel so strongly about.

I would say that there is definitely a disconnect generated by online relationships, and this can be seen from both the side of the techophile and the technophobe. My friends and I have blogs, and we keep in touch that way. Through blogs, and to a lesser extent, facebook, I can keep up to date with people without ever talking to them. When my mom asks, "How is Cameron doing these days?" I can tell her that she spent a semester in France and loved it, and that she's now back in the DC area finishing up her last couple of semesters. All this, even though I haven't spoken to Cameron directly beyond a couple of comments on her blog in the past three years.

As portrayed in the video clip, social networking online can be seen as inevitable, when really it has been created by people. Looking back, it is easy to say that a network like this would become widely used. I don't think it was entirely inevitable. It is not inevitable that a project like Wikipedia would appear either - it took massive organization of a group of people with a vision to set it up and have enough passion to keep it going.

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Describe how you can change how techology is being used: (How can *you* influence?)

Roadshow. encourages others to interact with techology more often.
I think at home I can influence how techology is used by encouraging my parents/siblings to understand the techologies they use better. I think it would be interesting to try to influence how techology is used in classes, at least my classes, at CMU. I love the internet, and I love having computers around, but it is true that they encourage people to not pay attention. Synchron-eyes doesn't work. Clearly something else is needed. This isn't really what they want us to look at.