Digitized Lives: Reed Chapter 1

It is understandable that Reed's first chapter is used to define and set up the context for the rest of the book. While I feel, that indeed, it seems to be a non-engaging discussion in light of the future topics, it still seems necessary to include. I find his take on technology to be somewhat refreshing. Simply because outright he clarifies that he will attempt to avoid biases where he would sound like he inherently praises technology like a god, or criticize it like a technophobe. He does makes some good points about how technology is shaping our world faster than ever. And he does delve into the fact that technology is blending into the real world. Our vocabulary is becoming more expansive, and not in the sense that we have bigger words, but we have simplified words that gets points across without extra flourish.

Information is certainly very important in today's society, and the internet is a plethora of gaining it. I do like his comparison of the internet to a wave. While a experienced web surfer may find what they need exactly and branch out from it with ease, I feel they might be limited in what they can come across. People who just ride the wave where it takes it, I feel are more prone to stumbling across random bits of information. The internet seems to hold so much more than libraries out there can. If you think about it, libraries consists of books that have went to publishers and have been proof read before it was printed. However, in the internet you can find personal blogs, where people can speak their own mind and personal experiences.

It seems that there can be no censorship in these types of writing, which is exciting (and sometimes boring or offensive). To be able to communicate with others and share their lives with each other seems to form pen-pals more efficiently and more frequently than before (where in grade school we get assigned one and we wrote letters). I do like the fact that you can see pictures too. To have imagery alongside with text creates a multi-medial space for more engagement and personal connection.

I am curious, however to what the future can hold, but part of me is afraid of the new things we can come up with. Apparently with all the new technologies coming forward, I can definitely see our lives becoming more public rather than private. I can't imagine anyone being open to constantly under scrutiny by their peers. One can isolate themselves, but it will be at a cost of not being able to connect properly with society.  n other words, Reed is right about the prospect of internet, and that it holds a lot more than our previous technologies can ever have. While this sets up for illegal and disgusting things people can put up (hint: the Shadow web; absolutely disgusting), it also provides a connectivity that we have never imagined to come across. I say we're very lucky to have all these technology around us, and I'm grateful for the culture it built.