It's kind of like the matrix to me where our generation has one of two options. We continue down this road of ever expanding technology and allow ourselves to have a dependence or we can continue to try and evolve but also separate ourselves from technology. It will still be beneficial but we wont feel controlled by it.
Right now I see what the older generation is talking about. While technology is increasing and doing some amazing things: advancements in medical technology, the way we learn in school, and how connected we are with everything going on in the world. There is also the bad: people spending more time on the internet than with their families, a certain lack of social skills in our generation as though we are loosing our ability to connect as human beings, and more importantly a lack of security on systems that we rely too heavily on, leading to identity theft or worse.
For better or worse we must push forward with technology and try and use it in the best ways we can because there will always be those out there that use it for nefarious reasons or worse reasons they believe aren't misguided like Anonymous. We see what they are capable of and this is the future if we don't improve protection of information and our communication within the technological system with departments and individuals. We can all be connected if we just want to do the work and most of the time Hackers are willing to do that and we are not so disadvantage us. We need to as I have already said beef up our security and make computers more like a global communicator where everyone has access to certain key systems like a Linux of sorts. I am a firm believer that the only way we get through life is together and that includes whoever we are while we are on a computer or using other technology. Wouldn't you love to be able to help someone in a crisis situation and not just get good karma from that but also know those are people who would do whatever they could to help you are someone else in the future.
It all comes down to the seven points Gisli was talking about, we need an unprecedented level of interoperability as we head into this new generation, not try and safeguard information to make more money. We have done a number on this world already and there are so many more people in the world than there have ever been it's time to start trying to take steps to form a global community even if it is only in Humanitarian response. Technology wheather we like it or not is going to propel us to that new goal and we have to remember to keep in our mind the pros and cons and figure out the best way to devlope and implement them. I don't want to end up like the Matrix but I also don't want to live in a world where I am not plugged in.
Our project sharing our information not for profit of what we find while trying to re-purpose or develop a new piece of technology has the potential to help countless thousands of people. I don't need money for that I don't need to safeguard that information if it has the potential to keep people safe. I think that is the new attitude we need. The global community and it can all start with staring at someones R.A.K. (again Random Act of Kindness you perverts) and being moved enough to do the same. I think that is how all change begins by being moved enough to help someone else and wanting to change the status quot. Our generations greatest weapon is technology and its development but we must make sure it is used properly.
We all get by with a little help from our friends
Hello Thomas,
ReplyDeleteYou had a very impressive blog post here. It really attached me to it, and I definitely had a few things to talk about with you.
In the first section of your blog, you mentioned a huge point that is important to remember. The generations before us weren't brought up in this technologically immersive world. I'd like to go a step further and claim that we're the only generation that has been able to see the rise of things like Facebook, Myspace, or even Xanga and Live Journal if I can go back that far. We technically weren't born into this world of socially driven technology, but we did experience the change from Web 1.0 to 2.0, so we can say we grew up in a world with cell phones, but we didn't have any apps yet. It's just cool to think about what future generations could bring us. Kids these days don't know what the world was like before Facebook, like Reddit, or even like Amazon or eBay. The generation before us is learning a lot from us, and I look forward to learning more from the next group of kids who will be in our shoes in 15-20 years saying the same things about us and what we thought of the previous generations.
At the same time, as you elaborate on your stance with aging generations and technology, it seems that this most recent previous generation really sees the potential for all these new technologies out there, and we get to be the ones to try and put them into action. And although new generations see these opportunities, they also see threats, and we are living in that world of worry and online identity.
To answer your question, I'm a big believer in "paying it forward." I try to be polite, considerate, and be happy with other people around. If I make mistakes, karma tends to hit me back. But when people try to give me rewards for doing the right thing, I honestly only want them to consider other people and try to do what I've done for them. I know groups always try to enact a RAK week, but I don't understand why people aren't as considerate every day of their life. I mean seriously, a little action goes a long way for some people. It's the little things that matter when you're having a bad or unlucky day. I want to make a difference in this world. I want to change things for the better, so yes, I will step out of my way to help out whenever I can. Just pay it forward for me.
Just some food for thought, just imagine if we could apply the growing rate of technology with a combined effort to change the world for the better, meaning less driven by a cash-profit motive and more for really changing the world. Just to shift the priorities one time, it would just be amazing to see what you can accomplish.
Tony
I thought that you did a great job communicating the ideas that Gisli Olafsson was trying to present to the class. While I think that you may be a little overconfident on how important technology will be in the future of disaster response, I agree with most of you ideas. Technology allows these organizations to become interconnected in ways previously unimagined. Organizations now have the ability to coordinate and collaborate to provide the best response possible. Not using the technology to the full extent possible will be doing a disservice to those who are in desperate need during these disasters. If even one more life could have been saved if technology had been properly utilized than the failure is on those organizations for not using the full resources available.
ReplyDeleteAs you said however, with technology comes certain pitfalls that one must avoid. While groups like Anonymous do use technology for nefarious reasons, I do not think they are a major concern in disaster responses. Almost all of their "hacks" have been targeted at people and organizations who are working to prevent the free spread of information. I think the major concern with technology is more the people affected by the disaster. As we talked about in class, the most danger is the people using twitter to let responders know they need help. If people see rescuers responding to twitter cries for help, they will naturally use the same mechanisms if there is even a slim chance of rescue. That act throws off the standard operating procedure developed by rescuers, and can lead to the loss of more lives. The most dangerous people with technology in disaster management is the people who think they are doing the most good. Eventually, we may be able to create a system that can sort through the good information and the bad, but until then we need to tread cautiously.