s. The leveling influence in assuring that a more equitable distribution of technology occurs between cultures and societies is communication. Further, I am in complete agreement with Dr. Elliot Soloway in that the most feasible method of information dissemination currently available is the portable phone, whether it is a simple cell phone or a newer, “smart” phone. This is a means of communication that is easily produced at a minimal cost and can be made available in great numbers in a very short time. The technology is fairly simple by current standards and signal coverage would be a small matter of arranging relay stations in a pattern to provide optimal area coverage.
ning cultural and social needs and demands. This would, hopefully, maintain gender, cultural, and socioeconomic sensitivity. Until these technologies are made available, the thought of using current or older technologies in new ways to improve the standard of life for entire communities is a very real consideration. Many of the answers that have been developed for use by third world communities are based on common sense and are so simplistic that it is a wonder that they were not developed during the last century. This is the same kind of innovative thinking and initiative that should be applied top the incorporation of newer technologies as they become available.
he opportunity to revisit some videos that I had not seen in quite a while. It also took a good bit of convincing before my wife believed that my assignment was to watch a movie. When it came time to make my decision as to which of Dick’s films to watch, I went to one of the shelves in our family room and looked for the titles that I wanted. I have owned all of the films mentioned in the original assignment for years and deciding which to see again was the only difficulty I experienced. My choice, “Minority Report”, was 150 minutes of escapism that I actually viewed with an altered perception. Instead of seeing the technology and taking it in stride, I was writing down examples of the new and unique items observed in the film and comparing them to current and emerging technologies.
t the American population is the group being observed in this situation: Betamax is still very popular in Mexico and HD DVDs are still being sold in Canada. The situation between DVDs and VOD seems to be a matter of preferences and convenience with the American public. Both formats have coexisted for quite some time without one threatening the continued existence of the other. Both formats seem to be thriving and maintaining their popularity with consumers, giving them a choice in terms of convenience.
texting, teleconferencing, instant messaging, and actual f2f conversations. As a professional educator, I can see the potential for Second Life to replace the traditional classroom, and even distance learning, with a digital version that is experienced in the artificial world created within the computer network. Education would take on a whole new personality, with experiments about space travel actually being conducted in space, including the physics of space travel, planetary colonization, and the effects of long term weightless environments, just to name a few. Conversations with people from the other side of the planet could take place f2f virtually, with translation programs taking care of the participants’ original languages. This would mean that entire cultures could be sampled without leaving the security and comfort of one’s own home. Many of the
planet’s present problems may be resolved within this medium, including armed conflicts, hunger, territorial disputes, and economic and trade difficulties.
It may be that “Second Life” continues to grow in its present state, at its present rate, without becoming too disruptive toward other technologies too quickly. But there is the “wildcard effect” that means this application may take off and start replacing multiple technologies and involving more people on a grander scale. With the way technology and communication are expanding and steadily including more of our global community on an ongoing basis, I can see that this program may have a very long life. On the other hand, that same “wildcard effect” may occur and replace this artificial world with something completely different at any time. This is the element that makes technology so interesting to work with: the notion that something new and different may appear at any time and replace multiple elements of the present day society and culture.
Recent improvements in technology have carried on the passing of information (fact and fiction) in the form of laser disks, VHS tapes, CDs and DVDs, and most recently Blueray Disks. This includes information for instruction, fictional information (movies) for relaxation, and music and games (for recreation).This rekindling of the sharing of information has become a very lucrative industry, with one left guessing as to what new developments will be made public in the near future. The question of, “Will I have to buy another copy of the White Album?” constantly appears as a minor concern.
It may be that within the next 5000 days (about 13½ years), there may be little need to purchase too many new items. We may have access to more than we can now imagine if the Internet and the computer network presently growing within our global society continue to expand as they have been. Dr. Kevin Kelly relates the development of the World Wide Web as a kind of evolution of an electronic over-mind of which we are all a part. His Ted presentation in 2007 is extremely interesting and worthy of sharing. The link to Dr. Kelly’s presentation is listed below. Please take a look and comment.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html
