Fast Company Article - Melinda Re "My High-Tech Road Test" by Gina Imperato, November 1998, pg. 263.

Gadgets in the Real World

With electronic gadgets literally taking over lives, I was interested in how all the latest and greatest actually performed under pressure. The author of this article traveled to St. Paul for a speaking engagement accompanied by a Personal Presentation System, which included a handheld PC and projector; a laptop, with e-mail capabilities and a printer/scanner; a pager/watch; a digital personal assistant; a portable CD player and noise reduction headphones; a digital camera, and a cell phone. (I confess I know people who have probably traveled with similar luggage.)

Gina has good experiences with all the equipment. The presentation system worked fantastic, although she admits she didn't allow nearly enough prep time to put the presentation together (allow 2 weeks she advises). The only failure: the GPS system in the Hertz rental car sent her to the wrong address and she had to ask a human for directions.

The use of this and similar equipment is our professional reality. I believe that people need to be proficient in the use of electronics to stay in the game today (and in the future). Some of the electronic gadgets are fantastic. I would never want to have to go back to using a typewriter. But I also believe that there is a break-off point where the equipment can become more important than the task it's performing. I worry about technology changing our society, and not for the better. Do we really need a machine to do everything? Is faster, better?

I am somewhat proud of my own advances in using today's technology. When I first started with extension, I had never touched a computer. Now I'm familiar enough with the equipment and software that I use on a daily basis to be able to perform my duties. On the other hand, I'm disgusted that I'm not light years ahead of where I am. It's not that hard. I'm not that dumb. But, with the breakneck speed of life in the techno lane, I cannot seem to catch up, let alone excel. If I can get this article posted to where it is it's supposed to go, I will be truly amazed.

Included in the article was advice from a book called The Packing Book. I read a similar book prior to a 2- week around-the-globe trip that included beach hopping on the equator and the formal state wedding of a high-ranking government official's daughter in a small foreign country. The information on packing was extremely valuable!

An interesting footnote: according to the prices listed in the article, the total cost of the electronic equipment the author took on her trip was over $13,000! This equipment list is not for the faint-hearted.

I chose to discuss this article with 2 people who have very different opinions and experiences with electronics. One person carefully weighs out the cost/benefit of every piece of equipment and software that he uses in his profession to make sure that it actually increases production. He warned that it could be counterproductive to use everything that comes along. "Sometimes it's easier and faster to jot something down rather than enter it into your system." He has mastered the few pieces of equipment that he deems necessary, but has little use for the rest of the techno world.

The second person I talked to about electronic gadgets is a gadget freak. He has them all and is an expert in using them. He is not one bit concerned about the time it takes to learn new software, or introduce new equipment into his work. His take on gadgets: "It's like collecting. I'm a collector."

-- Anonymous, December 10, 1998

Answers

Melinda--I enjoyed your impressions of this article. The use of technology is an area of interest for me. I am amazed that Gina's experience with all that technolgy went as well as it did. It often seems just as you begin to rely so heavily on the different technology, that is when it all goes wrong. Your thoughts and observations about the increasing use of technology and whether or not it is positive and helpful are echoed by many. I applaud how quickly you are advancing your knowledge and experience with the use of technology. Your articles are here, so you know you are successful.

You can also be assured that we will never get ahead or even catch up with all the technology that is available to us. I use technology in my classroom teaching, and through distance education, and I know that I will never understand how to use it as efficiently as I would like. Our only hope is, if we keep learning a little more, we won't be as far behind as our peers who are simply afraid of technology.

We need to use this technology as a tool, rather than allow technology to dictate how we should do things.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 1999