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Technology-Based Social Change

Posted by Zonk on from the bits-and-silicon-for-the-people dept.

vivekg writes "BBC has published an article featuring the highlights of technological social change from around the world for this year. It is amazing to find out how technology is being used in very different ways for very different communities. Victims of the Tsunami disaster, Virtual Wallets in Japan, and the Indian government, bringing technology to rural areas, all have been touched by the positive use of technology. Hope to see more good community-based collaboration in 2006."

6 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Too connected? by Scoth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I miss the days when I could go out and have a nice dinner without people yammering on cell phones, tapping on PDAs, talking about computer problems, etc. Sometimes I think people are a little too connected and socially technological these days.

    I'm sure there have been positive effects too though.

    1. Re:Too connected? by pete6677 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem is that some people do not use good judgement about the use of technology. They must forget that their cell phone has voice mail and that they don't necessarily have to answer their phone every time it rings. Some people just naturally have poor judgement and don't think about why they shouldn't be yapping on the phone during a meeting/concert/church or other place where quiet is expected. I think eventually social manners regarding technology will catch on, and shouting into a cellphone while ignoring your dinner companion will be considered to be about as rude as picking your nose at the table.

  2. Article hopelessly incomplete by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Says absolutely nothing about porn

  3. Women gaming clubs by Rowan_u · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As far as the article on women in games go, I'd like to agree with the social aspect. That is often what brings the women into gaming. I've seen women pick up titles as diverse as Burnout 3, Call of Duty, or Dead or Alive, but only after being dragged to a LAN party by significant coercion. Once games are properly experienced nobody (Male or Female) sets them down lightly. The games speak for themselves.

    What is significant here is the gaming stereotypes that are keeping women away from gaming in the first place. You only need to turn on G4$ T.V. for approximately 5 seconds to see what I'm talking about. What you need to do to bring women into gaming is to stop marketing to 13 year old boys alone. It's pretty simple.

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    only one everything
  4. They forgot something... by komodotoes · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is amazing to find out how technology is being used in very different ways for very different communities.

    Like surveillance of the masses, more surveillance of the masses, tracking vehicle movements, really tracking vehicle movements, seriously tracking vehicle movements....



    NeverEndingBillboard.com

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    NeverEndingBillboard.com
  5. The Next Social Equalizer? by TheSixth1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I see one of the big benefits of the spread of these new technologies is in the vein of social equality. Every few decades there seems to be a surge in society that, for better or worse, makes a great change in the way that people interact. I think the surge we are riding right now is acting as a social equilizer that has the potential to blind us to the bigotries triggered by economic status, religion, race, or whatever.

    I am not saying that this technology makes everyone equal, but what I am saying is that this technology gives everyone the chance to start out on the exact same footing when they use these new technologies to interact. Whether you connect to the web via your own dual-processor hyper pentium uber-computer with a dedicated T1 at your house or from a free terminal at a public library, the packets are the same. At that point no one cares about your race, economic status, religion, whatever, the playing field is level for you to express yourself. Now, what happens after you post -- that falls back to the current social climate and really depends on what you the individual has to express.

    A lot of hopeful thinking I know... but hey, it's that time of year.