Entering the Digital Age

When I moved to San Francisco in 1995, I was enthusiastic about the future. As a project director at Smart Valley, my job was to work with leading Silicon Valley companies and public sector organizations to bring the benefits of networking and digital communications to the whole community, not just business. We envisioned an information age with digital processes, seamless connectivity, and civic engagement.

Fast forward to 2008, as I clean out my office and home, planning my move to Los Angeles, I find myself emptying my shelves and file drawers.

Paper reports? I find the pdf online and download it to my server, tag the site in deli.cio.us for future reference. Paper files? Years ago, I printed a copy of everything and filed it, now I find it with Google desktop search. Haven’t read the files for years. CDs? I’ve ripped the ones I like for listening on my computer or through my iPhone and don’t have any working CD players. DVDs? Netflix gives me access to anything I might want within days of my desire to see it. Business cards for people I’ve met? I was entering them yesterday in my address book, thinking, I should just connect through linked in (strictly professional contacts) or facebook (friends and casual acquaintances). When addresses or emails change, I don’t have to keep track. It seems that the digital age has finally arrived. It is better than I hoped, more friendly and engaging than I dreamed.

Imagine what students think when we hand them a stack of papers or limit their access to networks? “Don’t you want us to learn something new today?” In his keynote for Knowledge Bank Conference, Steve Hargadon outlined 10 trends that will have an impact on education (that is a link to the recorded talk). One of the major changes in the way students use technology is that they are creators, not just consumers. They contribute to the web. (By the way, Steve and I are both in California and the conference is 100% online. A learning opportunity from my desk that took 2 hours of my time and no travel. I engaged with people around the world. We listened, we watched slides, we chatted, and applauded with visual handclaps, thanks to Elluminate.)

What did I keep? Books! Many of my books were donated to the SF Public Library (if I need those books again, I’ll go to the Los Angeles Library). Books with long-form narrative content (not reference books) take time to read and build arguments or draw stories over hundreds of pages. They provide a rich text that I value and enjoy.

If you had to pack up your house or office, what would you keep? Why? What has been replaced by a digital process, a networked communication tool, or content in a digital format?