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July 27, 2005 Over the years, technology has changed many things; the way we communicate, the way we live, and even the way we enjoy life’s simple pleasures. For example, take freshly squeezed orange juice. The everyday person today can purchase this delightful quenching drink in a nicely sealed cardboard box with freshness lining to make it taste just like it was squeezed that morning. Goodbye to labor laden squeezing, hello technologically advanced juice processing. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy. Oh technology! We’ve gone through vacuum tube technology, transistors and silicone wafers—now nanotechnology. Technology which is of miniaturized proportions. Resistors and capacitors have become so small you’d mistake them for flecks of sand in your hand. They’re so small that only machinery could place them on circuit boards. Human labor is slowly being reduced. As advances in technology occur from the brilliancy of human minds, so does the rate of how quickly these advances take place. Repercussions to us is less labor (ie: less work) but to the business owner, they benefit by having less labor costs, more machine hours (less cost), higher output, larger margin. Horrah for the Corporation. Take for example, I as an accountant by trade, have undergone many technological changes, even though most of my own training was done on computer. I learned in high school to do book keeping manually. Next I learned it on PC via a DOS based accounting package. During University, I was constantly exposed to changes in computer and software technology in accounting. I worked summers in some companies, saw what was out there, then after my degree, I had my first real accounting job. My first introduction to the industry was one in which all of the older, established accountants would discuss their own training, “When I was fresh out of school like you, Barb, everything was on paper. We had to do all of our bank reconciliations by hand, trace from one huge ledger to another. Even when computers came out, we had to trace and vouch huge reams of 11 x 17 perforated computer paper. It was a nightmare. You have it easy.” Yeah, right. To a certain extent I do agree with them. Maybe we do have all the databases, reporting functionality, spreadsheets and other analytical tools to do the job they use to do in mere minutes. Argumentatively, we have also created much more work for ourselves. Our thirst for knowledge and more analysis and our element of curiosity has pushed the requirements of computers and software to produce information which we require to make solid, or close to solid, decisions. Lots of information. We, as human beings have the need to analyze information (input), process it, and present it (output) in a thought provoking manner which whets and satisfies our appetite. That’s what we use computers and software (technology created by humans). We push the barrier which in turn pushes innovation and technology. Therefore, inherently, we don’t have it that easy. We’ve made more work for ourselves. Are we going too far? I would say, not yet. The barrier starts being crossed when we begin to do things which are not scientifically beneficial to the human race. If technology improves our way of life, maintains, sustains and saves the human race, why should not technology be a part of our lives? Yet if we abuse it for our own selfishness to see “what would happen if…” then we should not advance technology at all. Shame on the person who does such a thing. We created technology and dubbed it a “tool” for ourselves, now we have to coexist with it and make proper use of it. At the same time, it is not to be abused, but respected just as humans and their way of life. Till next time. ------------ About the author: Barbara has been writing short stories for the enjoyment of friends and family for years. She has published three books, Collection, Collection II, and Pawn: A Novel. Barbara lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and enjoys writing, reading and tending to her other field: accounting. Websites: http://www.barbaraannamarjanovic.com http://www.authorsden.com/barbaraannamarjanovic Look for my books at McNally Robinson! www.mcnallyrobinson.com Email: blueswan28@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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