Monday, July 17, 2006

Hah! v/s Duh! (Hi-tek v/s Lo-Tek)

Venky initiated this discussion on "Would our kids label us as technology illiterate?" Sorta like how we label our parents and their "unsavviness" with regards to modern technology and its use.

Venky's point of view (in his own words) is: "I strongly believe that we (our generation) would bridge the gap between generations as far as using technology is concerned. I’m sure we will NEVER be as up-to-date as our teenage kids (whenever that happens) but we will at least be in the same ballpark – and that is to say that we will be a few steps ahead of our parents’ generation.".

You can read more about his views and his justifications/ reasoning on that earlier link. And as per Brij's request to help further the discussion, I am "copy-pasting" the comment I made earlier to that discussion as a regular post here:

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(July 17, 2006):


Nice discussion there Venky. And although you made some good arguments there, I'd have to say as far as tech-savviness is concerned - the NextGen will be superior.

However, I guess it's important that you separete medium from content in your argument. My firm feeling is (just as Pranav and Soumya) that the average person only picks up so much tech kno-how (essentially knowledge) as much as is of use to that person. Anything more is purely incidental.

In other words, soon you may be using the latest phones and gadgets (as you are so inclined ;) ) but there will be menu items, tabs and mechanisms for which you will have no use for - but the next gen might. For instance rating bars, hangouts, bands, even popular classmates, etc. instantly, or as some of my PhD friends suggested, obtaining a GPS location of the nearest cool joint where the highest number of hip and popular are currently hanging out. Or consider next generation VR games for which there will be better tactile tools for social interaction in virtual communities. How much of use would we have for it once we sink further into our settled mode of social interaction? But would that prevent the next gen from adapting to it? I don't think so. We'd never know how to use next gen virtual interaction equipment by and large, simply because we'd have no use for it.

Not compelling examples those, but just to demonstrate that there'll be tons of stuff around for which we when we grow older - will have no use for. But these things will be developed keeping the NextGen in mind.

Again, as I said medium and content need separation in any discussion on future tech. The reason is that as long as the media which is available to us is supplying us with all the content that we need, there will be very little impetus to move on to something else. Unless and until, we are convinced that the an alternative exists thats atleast as good if not better than our current options, and/or else is being used widely by others.

Those who stay ahead of the curve will have a better chance of adapting to the new tech world. And being tech-savvy could be a powerful tool for the coming future. But, those persons would be more of the few exceptions than the significant majority obeying the rule.

To sum up the sentiment, here's a quote from more than 100 years ago:

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

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1 comment:

Venky said...

hmm ... my response -
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=17227243&postID=115302020718503538

@Sarat - Nice arguments Sarat. Like I said earlier, I completely agree that we will never be as up2date as the nextGen. Medium vs. content - that puts things into better perspective. I guess then what I am saying is that we will adapt to more medium changes than our predecessors.
We moved from TV/phone to digital to internet to Wi-fi pretty quickly - in less than 10 years as compared to our parents who moved from radio to TV/phone in about 25 years.
So I still take the stand that we will me more tech savvy (medium-wise) and be one step closer to nextGen.
As far as content is concerened, I guess we will always be laggards ... as some of us already are ;)

@De-Silva - What can I say dude? Gujju and Soum were deadly and then Sarat joined them pretty much crushing me ;) - but heck I'm still putting up a fight (splutter cough cough). But interestingly enuf - shud I consider you currentGen or previousGen ;)