Lost in Translation
The rapid ascent of the Internet as the primary means of information worldwide has led to a number of fascinating developments. Never before has knowledge been so accessible, so broad - you might even argue that it has never been so democratic. Since the German government deems it inhuman to exclude its citizens from this new technology, internet access is included in the social welfare system. Social networks such as Facebook create the notion that to live outside of this "global community" is to not live at all. Amidst these developments, I found myself wondering how it can be that although these trends seem to promise a brave new world, the reality lacks behind in a big way.
Granted, to criticize Wikipedia is as innovative as listening to contemporary pop music: it's all been there before. This won't stop me though, as the sudden influx of "knowledge" created by thousands of invisible, anonymous minions has not led to a new breed of enlightened citizens. Quite the contrary, actually. As I am currently finishing my SPS-I teaching module, I was recently able to witness the new Wiki-phenomenon. Students were supposed to research different items about Canada on the Internet and use these facts to create posters. Walking through the aisles I found quite an impressive array of facts, showcasing perfect diction and style...on paper, that is. Almost none of the students were able to coherently tell me what their posters were about - in English OR German. What I am trying to get at is this: since the Internet allows us to find information that is tailor-made to what we're looking for in mere seconds we tend to get lazy and neglect the process of actual research. If you add the decreasing attention span in society it is no wonder that we will eventually become slaves of online encyclopedias.
As to the "global community" I've mentioned before - shouldn't we all be able to forge eternal bonds on Facebook since we can find "friends" that share our interests, tastes, or fetishes? Shouldn't the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" be rendered meaningless? Once again, I protest. It seems that never before has human interaction been so empty, so short-lived, and irrelevant. True, I have written with kindergarten friends who I've lost track of...but it more often than not becomes clear why we've done just that. Access to anything and everyone has left us more yearning and alone than ever before.
Granted, to criticize Wikipedia is as innovative as listening to contemporary pop music: it's all been there before. This won't stop me though, as the sudden influx of "knowledge" created by thousands of invisible, anonymous minions has not led to a new breed of enlightened citizens. Quite the contrary, actually. As I am currently finishing my SPS-I teaching module, I was recently able to witness the new Wiki-phenomenon. Students were supposed to research different items about Canada on the Internet and use these facts to create posters. Walking through the aisles I found quite an impressive array of facts, showcasing perfect diction and style...on paper, that is. Almost none of the students were able to coherently tell me what their posters were about - in English OR German. What I am trying to get at is this: since the Internet allows us to find information that is tailor-made to what we're looking for in mere seconds we tend to get lazy and neglect the process of actual research. If you add the decreasing attention span in society it is no wonder that we will eventually become slaves of online encyclopedias.
As to the "global community" I've mentioned before - shouldn't we all be able to forge eternal bonds on Facebook since we can find "friends" that share our interests, tastes, or fetishes? Shouldn't the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" be rendered meaningless? Once again, I protest. It seems that never before has human interaction been so empty, so short-lived, and irrelevant. True, I have written with kindergarten friends who I've lost track of...but it more often than not becomes clear why we've done just that. Access to anything and everyone has left us more yearning and alone than ever before.