Today has just about finished me off internet and technology wise, as from my own experience in the last couple of months alone what was once wonderful and helpful for all is now becoming almost too problematic to even consider bothering with. Why is that though. Surely all problems have a logical and ethical solution... don't they? Well yes they do but with something as powerful and as influential as the internet that would take some doing.
Think about it... to fix ever single glitch takes not just one highly intelligent team of professional boffins but thousands of them at least. And in the meantime what are all it's customers supposed to do while that is happening? Stop functioning altogether? Nope... we do the sensible thing and stop hounding, moaning and complaining and revert to old tried and tested methods of communication prior to the advent of the internet is what we do. We calm down because let's face it... aren't we ALL rather overloaded by the pace of life and progress anyway? Couldn't we all do with slowing up.
To take one example from today... Twitter is busy trying to improve it's facilities to cope with ever increasing demand and, no doubt in response to what we ourselves are screaming out for. Unlike other services, Twitter can not just close up shop for a week while it does that as it would cause chaos, so it does it's best to fix things 'live'. Being an American company, of course we in Britain get the worst of it because during our working day, most of American (a larger business and social population) sleeps.
In addition to close down for repairs facilities such as social media have to agree globally on a shut-down time schedule which automatically turns it into a global political nightmare if you think about it. Is that really likely to happen in the next 50 years given mankind's history on this planet... I mean... really. We all know it ought to be possible but... realistically, is it in our lifetime.
So my advice on all this is very simple. Take the opportunity to relax, meet people in the flesh and to review your own contingency plans should the internet ever fail completely. Could you cope? I have a hunch you could even if telecommunications failed too. The reason I think that is logical too... it's better than the alternative and we already have functioned wonderfully well prior to the advent of the internet and technological revolution/explosion. They are tools only. Use them if they help. Don't use them if they don't. Simple as that.
Sorry to all those expecting Part 2 of my Jobsite list (for the most disadvantaged), but actually I'd rather get more links in properly listed anyway, so I am grateful for the chance to rest up myself so that I will be in better shape to do just that.
If you can get onto to Twitter though and are in anyway disadvantaged... just see the many organisations, companies and initiatives that I currently follow to help you get started. That's after all the bit I haven't got round to listing anyway, and frankly I could spend all day everyday collecting more, but I know you can do these things (with or without a bit of help) all by yourselves anyway. Eventually I will publish what I've got... maybe even tomorrow just as it is. Be patient (because no one wants to be ill with stress), and take your time to get what you both need and want. Needs always outrank wants.
I think I spend the rest of the day doing more arty things now, or at least until I am ready to try again.
Hope that helps avert a panic!
Think about it... to fix ever single glitch takes not just one highly intelligent team of professional boffins but thousands of them at least. And in the meantime what are all it's customers supposed to do while that is happening? Stop functioning altogether? Nope... we do the sensible thing and stop hounding, moaning and complaining and revert to old tried and tested methods of communication prior to the advent of the internet is what we do. We calm down because let's face it... aren't we ALL rather overloaded by the pace of life and progress anyway? Couldn't we all do with slowing up.
To take one example from today... Twitter is busy trying to improve it's facilities to cope with ever increasing demand and, no doubt in response to what we ourselves are screaming out for. Unlike other services, Twitter can not just close up shop for a week while it does that as it would cause chaos, so it does it's best to fix things 'live'. Being an American company, of course we in Britain get the worst of it because during our working day, most of American (a larger business and social population) sleeps.
In addition to close down for repairs facilities such as social media have to agree globally on a shut-down time schedule which automatically turns it into a global political nightmare if you think about it. Is that really likely to happen in the next 50 years given mankind's history on this planet... I mean... really. We all know it ought to be possible but... realistically, is it in our lifetime.
So my advice on all this is very simple. Take the opportunity to relax, meet people in the flesh and to review your own contingency plans should the internet ever fail completely. Could you cope? I have a hunch you could even if telecommunications failed too. The reason I think that is logical too... it's better than the alternative and we already have functioned wonderfully well prior to the advent of the internet and technological revolution/explosion. They are tools only. Use them if they help. Don't use them if they don't. Simple as that.
Sorry to all those expecting Part 2 of my Jobsite list (for the most disadvantaged), but actually I'd rather get more links in properly listed anyway, so I am grateful for the chance to rest up myself so that I will be in better shape to do just that.
If you can get onto to Twitter though and are in anyway disadvantaged... just see the many organisations, companies and initiatives that I currently follow to help you get started. That's after all the bit I haven't got round to listing anyway, and frankly I could spend all day everyday collecting more, but I know you can do these things (with or without a bit of help) all by yourselves anyway. Eventually I will publish what I've got... maybe even tomorrow just as it is. Be patient (because no one wants to be ill with stress), and take your time to get what you both need and want. Needs always outrank wants.
I think I spend the rest of the day doing more arty things now, or at least until I am ready to try again.
Hope that helps avert a panic!
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