Technology isn't bad but often, the hype is overwhelming

Paul Serilla Serilla Warfare

I am not a technophobe. I don't fear new things or changes to old things. Like most people out there, I can get pretty excited about new technology. The latest gizmos and gadgets; I wish I could afford them. The more serious advances in computers, information and communication devices spark my interest and I will generally take a moment of my day to read about it in the newspaper or online.

Having said that, I am really sick of the information superhighway, Windows, "Intel Inside," America Online, and Mac and IBM hype machines. I don't care where my cable TV company can take me with new "broad band" technology. You've got modems that are so fast people actually receive messages you haven't even sent yet; so what?

Then Microsoft keeps asking me, "Where do you want to go today?" Listen Bill, you may have the big bucks, but that is none of your damned business, and I am not going to let you "Start Me Up" and you sure ain't my "Hero."

It's this media barrage that is getting my goat - I realize all these technology companies are positioning for dominance in a powerful and growing marketplace, but leave me alone for just one minute. In the end, Gates and all his little Microserfs are laughing all the way to the bank, because yahoos like me are writing how much we hate Bill on Word for Windows. I'd bet you anything even Janet Reno runs Windows 95 (she looks too tough to be a Mac chick).

Really, it's not the technologies, or even the companies that pound us with endless commercials, that are at fault. They may spawn the hype, but it's everyone else, especially the media, who keeps feeding this stupid frenzy.

I think that everyone can agree that the developments in computer and information technology are pretty astounding and that they seem to have virtually unlimited potential. But as far as I am concerned, it is, for the most part, untapped potential.

The Internet is a great tool for doing research - when you can find your way through the cybersludge of misinformation and bad links. Still, it's relatively efficient and you can get quite a bit of information in a relatively short amount of time. Obviously, the Internet will continue to develop and mesh with other media channels (presumably television) and its power and influence will grow with its usefulness.

But even with more than 10 million Americans tapped into America On-line and several million more using other service providers, Internet users are a small, economically powerful minority. Despite all the talk about the Web being a marketplace of free-flowing ideas and fostering a democratic cyberworld, the Internet is still the plaything of an economic elite who can afford computers. Even as access to information technology becomes cheaper, I still think that people really don't care enough or have enough time to exploit the technical possibilities.

The ideal of the Internet that has been entered into our national consciousness was forged by computer geeks. While their enthusiasm in Java and 3-D Websites is unparalleled, their social skills haven't matured much since their Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Club elected the guy with the Mr. Spock shirt to be Grand Dungeon Master for life way back in '88 (I know we all remember where we were that day).

The whole thing just seems to lack any semblance of human social skills - and it's supposed to be about communication and bringing people together. Take e-mail - I don't really care that much if people have just given up on punctuation, capitalization and spelling, but the average e-mail message must be about four lines. You can't say very much in four lines and don't try to sell me anything about streamlining communication.

"hi bob - write me :) pat;" does not constitute anything worth anyone's time.

While e-mail is great for keeping in touch over long distances, within businesses and institutions it is generally used to avoid contact with others. I have known people who will e-mail the person in the next office to avoid talking to him or her. It's much easier to dump work on someone when you can avoid confrontation. It's also much easier to attack someone when you don't have to say it to their face.

Technology can be good, the benefits probably outweigh the bad (I mean lots of you are reading this wonderful column online), but a techno-utopia is not around the corner. And in the end, if that "utopia" means never meeting people face to face, only screen to screen, is it really worth it?

-Despite his growing distaste for the electronic mediums of communication, Paul Serilla still responds to e-mail sent to pserilla@umich.edu

01-23-98