This is my first entry as part of my CS404 (Ethics / Computers in Society). I will read various sources, and then write some sort of response.

Today's reading was entitled The Digital Age:
Postman - "Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change"
Gehl - "From Movable Type to Data Deluge"
Levy - "The World According to Google"
Oaks - "Focus and Priorities"

My Response:
I think the idea that the computer generation will not be interested in knowledge as much as information, and even more that they will have no interest in wisdom at all, was not as correct as Postman seems to think it is. I think what is more likely is to say that the common person will have less interest in both knowledge and wisdom, but has the common person ever really had much of an interest to begin with? I think that knowledge, and especially wisdom, will always be necessary to the world. That may seem like somewhat of a self-evident proposition, but the statement made was that neither would have any importance. A collection of information is all well and good, but without the ability to make use of that information, what purpose does it serve? Sure, you can look at it, data mine it, draw some interesting conclusions, but unless you can find some way to apply that into the world around you it “profiteth you nothing.” Someone needs the knowledge to find productive uses for that information. And, hopefully, someone will have the wisdom to know whether or not to use that information. I guess Postman has a prediction that knowledge and wisdom will fall by the wayside, while I have a hope that such things will persist to provide for the good of the same people denying it's necessity. The “common person” has always had need to be protected from himself. The electoral college was created to prevent the uneducated, mindless masses from electing uneducated, mindless leaders. While the success of said institution is highly debatable (my opinion falling on the side of failure), the original concept is undeniable. It seems to become increasingly clear that the common person uncannily lacks the ability to manage his or her own life. There has always been some influence that determines what the masses will do. For a long time this influence was religion, then monarchies, and tyrannies (or other forms of repressive government); eventually came the media. The world will always be in need of knowledgeable and wise individuals to help lead to, hopefully, better and more productive society.

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