Comments on: Adjusting to Nomads

By: Richard S

Richard S — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:08:27 +0000

I believe that some other aspects are also important in our use of the Internet: Some *may* be implicit in the desires of “Nomads.” Aspects include: Trust, risk, convenience, fun, community, cost, relevance, time consumed.

Also important is the actual availability (and speed) of access: Many companies (and government departments) restrict the web access of their staff – a great problem for “Nomads” who have become accustomed to continuous access to Internet services for work and play.

Until youngsters acquire a settled home address, they may not have ready access to high-speed Internet, except at the office, so may not have effective access to Internet services.

Although Wi-Fi and LAN access are becoming more common, people travelling away from home or office may also lack adequate Internet access.

In other words, youngsters who become too dependent on having continual high-speed access to Internet services may struggle to cope with the current constraints of the real world.

By: Richard S

Richard S — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 23:41:45 +0000

Re. The interesting 1998 paper about USA education: I know best about my childhood and my education in UK: I’m very grateful for the eight schools, two technical colleges, a polytechnic, and two universities which tried to help me on my way. I’m also grateful that even as undergraduates we were not taken entirely seriously; were allowed space to experiment, make mistakes and grow-up. Not everything was perfect, but at least we were protected from many outside pressures until we could cope.

The 1998 paper also discusses phases and fashions largely in the context of schooling, implying that school is (or should be?) the chief influence on children. Obviously school was a great influence, but I was also much influenced by parents (born in an earlier period), by elderly grandparents & relatives (from a much earlier period), and by leaders of youth activities. As a young adult, there were colleagues, friends, managers, mentors, customers, clients and first-hand experiences.

Having roots and relatives in several countries, as well as influences from several directions, I can guess at the pressures these days on youngsters from some minority groups.

By: weaverluke

weaverluke — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:47:16 +0000

Great piece. Of course, the web is becoming as much about information creation by individuals as it is about information gathering by those individuals. Which takes us back to William’s co-creativity theme.

By: W

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:40:20 +0000

These nomadic gatherers: are they an interesting elite, or the shape of things to come?

Does government cater for them at the risk of ignoring the bulk of the most needy? Or is it more important to realise that its projects will continue to fail until it uses the nomads as guides to what e-enabled government should do?

By: William

William — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:21:51 +0000

Our personal passion and experience is definitely a better guide to hwat is really happening than any prevailing accepted wisdom.

Kevin Kelly told me we all have a moral duty to use this technology to the very best of our ability. And I think the “exemplary Internet user” is a better guide to what we should be doing with e-enabled public services than any politician or award-winning project. We need to shift government CIOs to seeing it this way, and help them become persuasive advocates.