(no subject)

I've noticed that recently, my most recent entries have formed a rough theme of technology and my thoughts on adopting the latest forms of technology. So this afternoon, I came across this NPR opinion article/blog entry. It's not the best-written piece, but it begins to succinctly express much of what I've been trying to get across in some of my LJ entries.
Basically, it asks, "Up to what point can you reject a new form technology before it becomes practically impossible to do so?" It also ponders the "tipping point" question and brings up the question of how new forms of technology become accepted and ultimately, widespread. He concludes by saying that there comes a point when one is "assimilated" and has "no choice" but to adopt the technology. To that, I answer with the example of the Amish. They live with no electricity or, I believe, running water. They basically live as if it were 1850. To answer the author's question, it is possible for whole societies to "dismiss" newer forms of technology. So, you can chose to reject new technology, but to do so, you must live outside "mainstream society" as the Amish have done.
Which bring up another point: the Amish have not completely isolated themselves from the rest of the world and have had to deal with it in order to do business and make a living from their way of life. As a result, they have not been able to completely avoid modern technology. You hear of certain Amish having phones in booths outside their homes (to do business with) and yes, they take modern transportation such as trains (and vans!) for long-distance travel.
So it seems that to even deal with mainstream society, one must adopt at least the most basic level of the latest forms of technology. It's kind of interesting and scary when you think about it...
I don't have time to go further into this but stay tuned as I hopefully ponder this some more in later entries!

UPDATE: An interesting quote from one of the commenters:
"Neither be the first by whom the new is tried nor the last by whom the old is set aside."
-Samuel Pepys

Technology, society, and opportunity

One of the commenters from the article posted in my previous entry, Michael Boehm, explained the dynamics of technology in society really well:

( It's a little long but not too long... )

As much as Facebook gets on my nerves sometimes, I think of the opportunities that I've had to keep in touch with my friends from college, with family members that I rarely see in person, and with people that I met in Japan. Without FB, I would be left wondering what these people were up to. Granted, interaction on there is not always meaningful, but sometimes those small interactions and mundane status messages give you a sense of what's going on with those people and allow you to remain close...or at least closer than you would have otherwise been...