Technology Schmecknology
Word has it I live in an information society. This means I am constantly able to connect to networks that contain data I can choose to do something useful with. To this end, I need accompanying technology both in the form of software programs and a box that contains them, and a need to know why I choose to know of anything on offer.
That last one is tough, because it pertains to an innate drive to learn, with locus of control and motivation firmly placed on the inside. It means I have a specified bandwidth, a radar. Otherwise, I’d be a passive recipient of infinite clutter.
Internet and all its fringes contain absolutely everything and more I could think of, yet not a lot I would like to know of because I don’t care to understand.
I can choose to know that people drive cars, murder their mothers, have babies, die, talk to monkeys, cuddle cats, commit white-collar fraud, masturbate, watch television, eat ice cream, cry, marry and sweat on a treadmill. This, I don’t understand.
Everything and more, ad infinitum, wherever, whenever. I can know of everything, yet understand nothing. Information without application is meaningless.
I know of technology hysteria, but I don’t understand it either. People have multiple orgasms over wireless and smartphones and tablets; how they all can be made to function as one so I can access, create and manipulate data from different places on a single screen, where ever I may be.
This is called convergence. It means people can now prop different type software programs into one box and then connect them without cables. I understand this part, but I don’t know what more to make of it.
I am admittedly biased in justifying my preferred exceptions to the above. I have Wikipedia handy for reference, and Thesaurus that throws wondrous words at me, and WordPress. All are free to access so I can vent my self-absorbed tendencies at anyone who cares. I am slightly hysterical about this.
Beyond writing, I have extremely limited range of interests, mostly pertaining to myself annex random trivia. Any unrelated information is simply off my bandwidth. Repeated small bits of afferent data manage to seep through my skull for me to passively absorb until they reach the threshold of conscious processing, though. In other words, if I know of an occurrence, it must be pretty big.
I am unresponsive to most of everything on offer anywhere, but it doesn’t mean I can’t selectively absorb, and consequently learn and develop, which defines me as human. This year, I’ve learned it is good to actively communicate feelings in a relationship for the benefit of both parties. I’ve learned to tone down sarcasm because it is the lowest form of wit (after a lot of repetition) and I’ve learned it is good to give and accept. I’ve learned I can check the weather by looking out of the window.
This in contrast I realised Steve Jobs was dead approximately two weeks later. I don’t own Apple products so I don’t feel I lost a Father I should actively mourn. Steve was off my radar.
