About Mike
Realizing the Impact of Technology
The other day I had one of those moments where you suddenly are struck by how technology has changed your life. It's not anything new, it is just a sudden appreciation of how things have changed.
I've been in my new job for 2 months and had just completed my expense report online. After doing this you have to mail the hard copy receipts to Accounts Payable. And that's when it struck me. I'd been in this job for 2 months and this was the first time I had to actually mail something out. Up to this point the phone, email, and online systems had met all my communications needs allowing me to sign up for company benefits, schedule meeting and exchange information. Two months and never needing to mail something, now that is a change from the way business used to work.
Interestingly enough when I asked someone who at been working in the building for over a year where the mailroom was - they didn't know. Things really have changed! But this wasn't the first time I had this kind of experience.
A few years ago we started using online banking to pay all of our many bills. After a while I noticed that our checkbook ran out deposit slips (not that there are all that many) before we ran out of checks and we now had to order books of deposit slips rather than new checks. Time has finally caught up with the old joke "I can't be out of money. I still have checks left."
I guess the ultimate indication will be when you have to explain to a co-worker what counter-clockwise is. The term counter-clockwise loses it significance in a world of digital clocks.
How has the realization of the impact of technology occurred to you?
"pict2227.mrw" photo by robenalt
[Update 5/31/07 corrected typo in 4th paragraph "now that there are all that many" corrected to "not that there are all that many"]
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Posted by Mike on
May 31, 2007 in
Information Technology
, PCs and E-Mail
, Technology
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In the '80's I used to make cassettes of music to listen to while I was away from home. I also listened to the radio more often. Now I listen to music and podcasts via the computer and my iRiver.
Posted by: Daniel Johnson, Jr. | Daniel Johnson, Jr. | May 31, 2007 1:44:10 PM
Daniel,
Excellent examples. If you want to have some fun with your kids just start talking about LP albums and 8-track tapes and watch the quizical looks on their faces.
Mike
Posted by: Michael Schaffner | Michael Schaffner | May 31, 2007 6:37:07 PM