Newbie

‘Ahh... don’t you just love technology?’ My lecturer asks with a sigh and distinct tone of sarcasm. The PowerPoint presentation that accompanies most COMU1999 lectures is misbehaving, and not for the first time this semester. Nor will it be the last time we hear the exasperated phrase that lays blame upon the technology rather than he who attempts to use it. Most technical appliances are far more complex than the average human mind can fathom, thus increasing the likelihood of pushing the wrong button and delievering the wrong signals. Yet the user still struggles to admit a shortcoming in their understanding of the gadget’s most inner-workings, thus not acknowledging the problem and succeeding to overcome it. And to compound the problem even further, technology is not a static entity. Before we can master PowerPoint, the ElectroSpot will render it obsolete and present a whole new set of rules and signals which must be adhered to in order for the product to work. But it’s not all bad news for ElectroSpot users, because while innovation can be confusing for the consumer, it is also highly advantageous. PowerPoint is now widely used in educational environments as it significantly enhances learning process by accompanying the speaker with visually stimulating images or text to reinforce the content being spoken. PowerPoint represents the advantages of innovation, but what about when the inventors get it wrong? Innovations we could live without are those that take the notion of ‘making things easier’ to a whole new level, making human arms, legs and brains redundant. What is the need for solitaire on your iphone, other than to prevent you from leaving the house to ride your bike or get a job?
Luckily, positive technologies far outweigh the small slip ups, as you can choose to take advantage of the constructive and functional innovations, such as Opera browser capabilities. In my case, this is the Opera News Panel which enables instant access to world wide news feeds and is an invaluable tool for studying a Bachelor of Journalism. So, in answer to what Dr Peter Milne had intended to be a rhetorical question, I say yes, but only once I’ve learnt how to use it and only if it enhances my ability to learn or recreate.