Silicon Snake Oil
Clifford Stole
versus the Technology
Industry
Key Point:
Computer
networks isolate us from one another and cheapen
the meaning of actual experiences.
Argument:
I think that computer networks can isolate people from one
another to a certain extent. I do
however think that if that occurs, this will to the extreme. The adult
or child
that spends 24/7 without human contact does have some issues. No child
should
be spending all of their time on the computer; there should also be
interaction
with peers and family, as well as computer time. Does it cheapen
experiences?
Far from it, being able to communicate with students in a class project
from
another country is an educational and rewarding experience. Having a
teleconference with colleagues, can save a company time and money when
trying
to solve problems.
Key
Point:
Possibility of deception
Argument:
Of
course there is always the possibility of deception,
especially when you can’t see the person face to face; this could also
happen when
communicated through US
mail. I guess it the deception seems more deceptive, when you are
communicating
in real time (IM or e-mail). It’s up to both parties to be up front,
and to
realize the possibility of deception. In the case of children, it is
important
to monitor their Internet time closely because of safety issues.
Key
Point:
E-mail is clumsy,
inefficient, and
impersonal. It appears to be free, yet is actually quite expensive, and
can be
much slower than ordinary postal mail.
Argument:
Email in most cases is
faster than the regular mail; it
depends on the network that you’re on. It’s even faster if you have
DSL. US
mail can take two days at the least, or overnight if you pay. I don’t
know
where this concept came from. The average ISP cost $20 a month and it
comes
with e-mail; Hotmail and Yahoo are free. Is this cheaper than a 25 cent
stamp
yes, but if depends on how many letters us write. If you right 5
letters a day
for 28 days, that’s $35.00 a month. As far as e-mail being efficient,
if the network
goes down or incorrect e-mail address, yes that can be an up. The
regular mail
is shut down on national holiday’s and mail is returned for incorrect
addresses; it has its own hold ups. It’s always nice to get a
handwritten
letter, but in the sake of time, I would prefer e-mail.
Key
Point:
Schools,
libraries, and even businesses are being sold down the river, wasting
money on
ineffective and counterproductive computing systems.
Argument:
Computer Technology is
here to stay. Schools do the best that
they can to purchase quality equipment. Schools overall, do a good job
with
providing students access even if it’s limited. Some schools do a
better job
than others. I think where most school systems stand now; their main
problem is
having enough computers for students. Businesses are doing their part
in
assisting schools with keeping up with standard technology. Technology
is
constantly changing, so to a certain degree it’s a challenge for all to
provide
the latest technology. It’s never a waste of money to provide students
with
exposure to technology.
Key
Point:
Computers are not
necessary for most college students. Stoll:
“I learned the hard way, they can too”.
Argument:
Computer skills are
needed at some level for all jobs today.
Those jobs would include: the grocery store clerk, Wal-Mart store
manager, the copy
technician at Kinko’s and the GE executive. Computer technology does
make
research easier for students; what’s wrong with that? College databases
point
students toward journals and other periodical, so they’re still using
written
text.