Where technology is concerned, when you actually do something that works for you – like you physically press a button or key and a myriad of digital bits and bytes harmonize, and perform some kind of practical magic – it’s a beautiful thing. In that moment of doing, you get a whole lot of seeing how technology can be put to work. However, if you never get to the doing, because you’re stymied by not really knowing your way around the tech device/application/service, there definitely ain’t going to be much seeing going on.
Pity. And not only in Canada, you say? Pity, because there is a vision to be seen. And it’s inspiring.
Technology and inspiration are consenting bedfellows in the same sentence when they describe a vision of a world in which everyone is achieving their potential. It’s all wrapped up in the idea that tools can help you do stuff you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. They can. Just ask the monkey who figured out he could get more ants out of the anthill by poking in a blade of grass and pulling out some six-legged snackage.
Tools. That’s what technology is.
But… wait. It’s not that simple.
Technology is not that simple.
Not today.
Not yet.
We’re working on it. Not me, personally… but those fine fellows who populate the technology parks from Waterloo to Cupertino are. They’re working on it. And they’re actually doing a pretty good job. If you’re a glass half-empty thinker, you’re thinking that really the tech biz is a debacle of unfulfilled promises, and I’m just blowing smoke. OK. I see where you’re coming from. I feel your pain. But, hey, we’ve only been at this 25 years or so. Give us another 50, and let’s see how things work out. Fair?
See, in the half glass-full view, we’ve actually done half the work already – we’ve passed through the ugly phase of DOS, monochrome monitors, and floppy disks. Now we’ve got the Web, iPhones and cloud computing… and there’s still plenty of room left in the glass. Good things to come. Fill ‘er up!
But – back to my original point – there’s a lot of doing that has to happen before we get to seeing. And, I think there’s a gap there.
Some people (those whose left brain is more developed than mine) are more confident about wading into the technology pool. So, the industry tends to be owned, operated and led by people like that. They know how to put technology to work – or they wouldn’t have gotten into the business, see? They have a core intimacy with tech tools, and how to use them – like an electrician does with the tools of his trade, and you don’t. Well, I suggest to you that this intimacy somewhat clouds their perspective of the HELP that is required to get the average person to understand and use technology the way they do.
This leads right into my pet peeve that very few tech providers have done a great job of HELP. Instead, we have ill-conceived and poorly written instruction manuals, and we are sloughed off as quickly as possible to the FAQ portion of a site. This logic train leads to an inevitable destination. If we never get to doing, because it’s just too daunting, we’re definitely not going to be seeing what you want us to see… that technology is a wonderful thing.
And if doing is seeing – of course, seeing is b-e-l-i-e-v-i-n-g. And that’s a treasure that promises ongoing pleasure for your bottom line, Mr. Tech Provider.
I’m ready to believe. Just HELP me!