Information as we knew it, has evolved, or progressed, if we can call it that, into this gigantic, bottomless pit where the information is always readily available.
Only a few years ago we only had books from libraries and shops as our source of information.
Now we are bombarded with information, good and bad.
We are inundated with information. The mind struggle.
The younger learn to adapt, the very young have no problem grasping it. Is it for the better?
No one knows. What we know is that it cannot go back only forward at great speed.
Are we better off if we are information rich, are we better off that the info poor societies?
We think we are, but I don't think so. The poor societies speak to their children, friends and families, our childred play (violent) computer games and are anti-social, parents themselves spend most of their time on a computer (sharing info !!!), not sharing information but just plain escaping thier parents responsibilities.
We spend so much time of the Internet, looking for something, does not matter what. We shop, we study, we work, we research, we communicate, we share the information.
We are addicted.
We are trapped and there is nothing we can do to escape this. Life as we know has changed and is now part of this unknown new world.
This new world unfortunately before we can comprehend what it is all about, it changes.
We think that we have a tool and we have choices. We do not. We are manipulated in thinking that all this is good and we must have it. We try to control it but it controls us.
We messed up the planet now we are messing with its people.
I have a few links that I thought were very interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL_8Ugp9zI4&NR=1
The future of the internet - Keanu Reeves in Johnny Mnemonic Future Internet.
I like this one. It is propably the way we will be doing things in the future.
An "ecology of communication" is a sensitizing concept to clarify how information technology and communication formats operate in the effective environment and are intertwined with activities, in some cases adding new activities, while in other instances changing them.
An Ecology of Communication: Toward a Mapping of the Effective Environment, by David L. Altheide © 1994
http://www.jstor.org/pss/4121524
How might the metaphor of an 'ecology' impact on the way you think
about, understand or use the Internet?
"We define an information ecology to be a system of people, practices, values, and technologies in a particular local environment. In information ecologies, the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are served by technology."
(Nardi & O'Day, 1999)
In an attempt in trying to fully understand what the question is all about, I looked up the meaning of 'ecology' & 'metaphor', using the online dictionary.
Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles"
Ecology: the study of the relationships between people, animals, and plants, and their environment
So information ecology would mean the relationship between the Internet, Internet tools and
systems, and how people interact and use them.
It is a different way of thinking of how we use and are responsible of the Internet communication.
The Internet is like a living thing which is reinventing itself constantly, to better service us, its
audience. The Internet would not exists without our contribution and input. If we don't nurture,
feed it, evolve with it and contribute to it potential, the Internet would surely die.
Our interacting with the Internet and contributing to its amazing potentials, result in the invention of amazing technologies, good quality information, and we change and adapt in the process.
The downside of humans interacting with such an open, bottomless hungry system, is that the bad can thrive and benefit as well, if not better that their good compatriots. The bad and ugly go out of their way to undermine all the good stuff and corrupt the Internet with their garbage, to create as much confusion and deceit as possible.
The Internet is like a child with so much potential that we as humans can do so often, abuse and
corrupt the child.
The Internet is not a child anymore, it has grown to be very powerful and if the 'BAD GUYS' got
their way the whole world would be affected and changed, unfortunately not for the better. It is
like the environment that we have abuse for such a long time instead of working with it...so we
should now work together in collaboration with the 'Internet' to make it a better world for
everyone.
Abstract:
Information. The word has become ubiquitous with the computer and the so-called revolution
that has occurred as a result of this electronic gizmo so many of us use on a daily basis. We
have linked the word with many other terms to describe how information functions in this new electronically-driven world: information technology, information management, information superhighway. Nardi and O'Day (1999), however, have hitched information to another term---ecology---that provides us with another way to think through what it means to work, learn, and play with and through the computer-mediated medium. As with any descriptor that has metaphoric possibilities, inventive minds can conjure a seemingly infinite number of ways to probe the expanded meanings that a metaphor can provide.
Nardi and O'Day's Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart
http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/337271.337286 access restricted (by the publisher) to members/subscribers/customers only peer-reviewed
Johnson, Robert R.
Journal of Computer Documentation 2000
how are the concepts 'information' and 'communication' understood within the framework of an 'information ecology'?
Concept 32: Virtually a Library?
How is the information communicated to its audience via the Internet. Is the Internet a library? To some yes and others more advanced users manipulates the information to suit their needs.
Concept 33: Information and attention (attention economy)
Others are challenged to grab our attention in that split second so we go back and back again,
whatever the reason may be, they have achieved their goal to attract our attention, and winning
over the competition.
Concept 20: Active communication generates indentity awareness
Concept 14: Cyberspace is informationally created 'space'
We develop a different 'internet' identity when communicating and exchanging information
online.
We navigate, surf, explore, visit and move in space, but do not think of it as a virtual world. We
treat it as the real world, where we feel more comfortable.
We also know that the concept of information cannot exist without communication. We
successfully communicate information through the Internet, which is, nowadays easily accessible
to everyone.
The information ecology means that we have to consider responsibly what information we
communicate, the consequences and impact it may have on its 'huge' audience, and its
environment.
"The internet is a reflection of our society and that mirror is going to be reflecting what we see," he said.
"If we do not like what we see in that mirror the problem is not to fix the mirror, we have to fix society."
Dr Vinton Cerf - Founder of the Internet
why don't we talk of a 'communication ecology'
The following abstract summarises clearly why we do not talk of a 'communication ecology'.
'Communication ecology' is already well known within organisations, but it encompasses more than just information technology management. We need to consider the 'information poor societies', for its ecological implication.
Abstract:
The paper discusses some problems of an information ecology. These arise within information rich societies but also in the interaction with information poor societies. These questions are being considered from a theoretical as well as from a practical perspective. From a theoretical perspective emphasis is made on the social character of information as the measure for its ecological quality, as well as on the linguistic (criticability, tacit dimension and partiality) and historical dimensions of information. These dimensions allow a specific definition of the concept of information pollution. The increasing gap between information rich and poor countries is analyzed. Some suggestions for future action are made.
Contribution to the NORDINFO International seminar "Information and Quality", Royal School of Librarianship, Copenhagen, 23-25 August 1989. Proceedings: I. Wormell ed.: Information Qual Definitions and Dimensions. London, Taylor Graham 1990, p. 122-139.
"Information Ecology defines mobilisation for the future, a topic that is clearly thought provoking and one that we must all address if true technology information return on investment is to occur"
Ralph J. Szygenda
Vice President Chief Infor4mation Officer
General Motors Corporation
An nteresting books on the topic:
Information Ecology
Mastering the information and knowledge environment
Why technology is not enough for success in the information age
Preparing for 'future shock'
Keeping up with what is happening now is a challenge and will stay with us for a while yet.
When we say future, how far in the future, then I think 'Teleporting' is the way of the future, why not?
Nowadays we use the Internet and available technology to do the following:
- Read online -ebooks
- Study online - eLearning
- Play games online
- Chat to everyone/anyone (ICQ, Skype, Windows live etc...) in the world
- Shop - eShop -
- Bank - Internet banking
- Trade shares - Etrade etc..
- We run a business from home, use Skype to communicate with our colleagues worldwide. We send invoices from our home office. We communicate to the Banks anywhere in the world to get our financial reports. We service our customers from a virtual office.
- We watch movies on our computer
- We download the music we want from the Internet
- We interrogate the Internet for information
The internet is helping some of us communicating but as human beings we need to feel, and
touch to make us complete. Although what the Internet offers has come a long way, it lacks the
personal touch. If we have the right balance between human interaction and the use of the
Internet and all the wonderful stuff that is offers, it would be a perfect world.
In the future we may be one in a space where we would still get this feeling of belonging. We will
even be able to see, smell, get a feeling of being touch and loved and feel complete. In an attempt
to being friendly to the environment, there will be no cars on the road, no shopping complex, no
movie theatres as it can all be done in the comfort of our house. We will experience the world
around us through our VDU's.
The next few generations will not know any better and will embrace and adapt their new world. I am sure glad that I belong to the now 'world'. We are creating intelligent future robots, they look the real thing, yet they are still robots.
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