Knowledge Ecologies
Knowledge Ecologies
I must also agree that the definition of ecology presented in the fourth chapter has given me a completely different understanding of ecologies. It made me think about my work environment, and how each department assists others departments. The finance / accounting departments maintain all revenue flows as well as pay checks. The IT department provides access to the network for all other departments and is available in case anyone is having technological difficulties. The Operations department maintains day to day company operations and ensures that all customers are satisfied. The sales department seeks out potential customers and brings them in, so that the company has someone to provide its products and services to.
I have to disagree with Neil Postman's idea that our society has lost track of our fundamental values. I believe that most humans have the abililty to interpret the information that is here today gone tomorrow. Just because there has been a large increase in the amount of information available does not mean that humans have removed their tests of morality.
The discussion of what you don't see making an object useful in chapter six was quite intriguing. I can relate to this personally as a member of an IT department. What you see is the servers stacked on one another in the data center, everything is neat and tidy and looks quite powerful. However, you do not see the hours of work that it took to install the equipment. You also do not see the hours of weekly maintenance that actually allow the servers to continue to operate. It is not the servers themselves that useful, it is the software and maintenance of the servers that allow them to be functional.
I must also agree that the definition of ecology presented in the fourth chapter has given me a completely different understanding of ecologies. It made me think about my work environment, and how each department assists others departments. The finance / accounting departments maintain all revenue flows as well as pay checks. The IT department provides access to the network for all other departments and is available in case anyone is having technological difficulties. The Operations department maintains day to day company operations and ensures that all customers are satisfied. The sales department seeks out potential customers and brings them in, so that the company has someone to provide its products and services to.
I have to disagree with Neil Postman's idea that our society has lost track of our fundamental values. I believe that most humans have the abililty to interpret the information that is here today gone tomorrow. Just because there has been a large increase in the amount of information available does not mean that humans have removed their tests of morality.
The discussion of what you don't see making an object useful in chapter six was quite intriguing. I can relate to this personally as a member of an IT department. What you see is the servers stacked on one another in the data center, everything is neat and tidy and looks quite powerful. However, you do not see the hours of work that it took to install the equipment. You also do not see the hours of weekly maintenance that actually allow the servers to continue to operate. It is not the servers themselves that useful, it is the software and maintenance of the servers that allow them to be functional.
posted by dschonew at 4:26 PM
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