Hi Chris:
> > Someone a while ago was suggesting that Negroponte's book, Being
> > Digital was a good one to give people to get a grip on the idea of
> > the digital revolution - I've just finished it and thought it was
> > pretty dreadful. N seems to have had one good idea, i.e., bits vs.
> > atoms, which he plays to death but with a lack of depth in the
> > presentation that suggests it was written for American TV adaptation.
> > Anyone else share my views?!
>
> Not quite as dreadful as you suggest, but shallow, certainly. Few of the
> implications seem to be thought through. A dangerous book to let Pro VCs
> read, I've said before.
Yes - shallow is perhaps a better word, and, I agree, rather
dangerous for anyone without some background in the area - the
impression is given that it's all around the corner.
> His second idea "if you can't do it yet, just wait" is also important.
> Trouble is, business people as well as Pro VCs will read it. Future could
> look grim.
Couldn't agree more - business can't afford to wait for the ultimate
solution and never has - hence the problem of legacy systems (which
will always be with us - unless the industry starts to give away its
latests "solutions").
> However, the populist approach is needed now much more than ever before.
> Scholarly answers just won't do, I suggest (not a dig, more a plea for
> those with insight to try to tackle the same ground; no, I don't know how!).
Certainly there's a need to get across to people the irreversibility
of what is happening - not so much a question of the answers not
being scholarly but of the scholars learning to express their ideas
in language the lay person can take on board. There are prizes for
science writing - how about a prize for the best lay presentation of
the information revolution? Anyone got a few thousand to spare?
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Professor Tom Wilson
Head of Department of Information Studies
University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K.
Tel. +44-114-282-5081 Fax. +44-114-278-0300
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/I-M/is/lecturer/tom1.html
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