Luddites Unite!! (Wait, should I be using a blog to say that?)

Ok, I really don't want the Luddites, people "who refuse to adapt to technology" (Goodall, 2009. p.159), to unite but I thought it funny as well as a good lead in to my latest topic. Some people refuse to keep up with technology and they suffer for it. Others, however, make the conscious choice to use technology for communication. They use it not because they have to, but they carefully select the most appropriate form of technology to convey the message to the intended audience. Take an example from work. Let's say a supervisor has a subordinate that needs to be counseled about something. How could they employ technology to most effectively communicate the message they have to the subordinate? They could send an email counseling them about the infraction, this to me says it's not a big deal but don't do it again. The supervisor could email them informing them of a time and place of a meeting, this says you have no choice and you're in trouble. A phone call allows one to quickly address the issue as well as allow the subordinate to respond immediately and possibly clear up a misunderstanding. The supervisor may not want to single out the person with the issues, so they might create a Power Point presentation to show everyone in the office. I could keep going, but I think the point is made. Consciously choosing your mode of communication can indicate so many things even before the actual message is delivered.

How Technology Affects Communication II

At the end of my last post I stated that technology can be bad for communication. Here are some of the ways that manifests itself. Those who have access to high-tech items are more likely to do business or interact with those that have the same level of tech savvy-ness, essentially leaving out those who cannot keep up with the technology. Someone out there might have a great idea that you could really use, but you are both penalized because one end of the partnership cannot keep step with those competing for the same position. Both people lose out; one because they could have benefited from the better idea, the other because they lost out on a great opportunity to sell their idea.
Technology can also take away the ability of people to really get to know each other. Don't get me wrong, technology allows people to stay in contact in real-time from thousands of miles away as stated in my last post. However, technology often replaces face-to-face contact between people that are in relatively close proximity and much can be lost in translation. As we learned earlier in our textbook one person may not quite fully understand the meaning of someone else's message depending on many factors such as noise, lack of context, or not getting enough feedback in a timely manner (Goodall, 2009. p.6-9) Personally I think the the pros really outweigh the cons here, but I thought it important to show the other side.

How Technology Affects Communication

Dan Lacy is credited with the idea that "societies that communicated information the farthest and the fastest gained power and dominated each era." (Communicating in Professional Contexts, Goodall 2006, p. 156) This is very true I believe. Working in a technology driven, information oriented career field I think I can attest to that. There is the old saying that the pen is mightier than the sword. I think that this holds true even today. In certain battles whomever has the best weaponry or resources may win the battle, but being able to carry information quickly regarding the battlefield to others has always been the key to winning the whole war. In times of old whomever had the fastest horses could seek reinforcements or supplies that could win the battle. Whoever bled the least didn't necessarily win, it was who ever could draw the battle out the longest and being able to have quick lines of communication was key to that. In today's age it just isn't part of the battle, it is the battle. Information warfare is very real. Through the employment of technology communications between persons can be intercepted and put to use to either remove an ally from danger or to attack the enemy with more confidence in their location, numbers, plans, armaments, etc.

As we see, communication is essential to wars, but it is also important to businesses as well as our personal lives. Being able to Skype with my parents from Nebraska to California gives them a chance to see and talk to my kids live, enhancing their relationship with people thousands of miles away. Businesses are able to hold meetings with people in six different countries in real time. This enables them to move quickly and save money, which saves time, which can save the consumer in the end. Another way technology and communication come together to great benefit is in an emergency. Have you heard the OnStar commercials? Click on the following link to check one out. Technology can communicate someone is in distress without the person needing to initiate the process or even be conscious. There are so many ways that technology can facilitate communication and make life better for us all.

Watch for my next post about how technology can be bad.