The Last 10 Years : How did IT change your life?

WHEN John Sculley was challenged by Steve Jobs whether he was going to sell sugared water for the rest of his life, or join the later to change the world, I believed then, about 10 years ago, my life would be changed with the rapidly changing world of IT.

First the Apple II imitation, then the XT, 286, 386, 486, Pendium, Network,Internet, computers peripherals, better and more friendly softwares, ....the rapid change has driven me to search and seek for advice from varioussources, inclusive of Computimes.

The world is perceived to have changed with the advent of IT, so is my life, it seems to be. Yesterday products are today "throw away". Today ITsolution is tomorrow liability. Tomorrow innovation is the pursuit of many, with the belief that it will bring about a whole new world. However, on serious reflection, the main themes of the change brought about by IT are "Speed" and "Closer Neighbourhood". Large volume of data can be processed faster. I can e-mail to friends or strangers in far away land as if they are next door.

But "Speed" and "Closer Neighbourhood" are not the same as "better qualityof life" nor "more matured and wiser mankind". No, they are of totally different values.

We simply get caught in the vicious circle of changing IT world in the last 10 years. It would be an illusion to say that we are having a betterlife because of the change. In many cases, the change is towards chaos, not order, towards dis-unity instead of teamwork.

Only in the last two years, as I grow older (or is it wiser?), I realise that IT has changed my life as far as it making me adapting fast to the changing technology, in order to "catch up". Hence we continue to pursue IT as if it is the main purpose of our life. As a result we produce many IT experts, but not "IT Guru", who can influence our life towards a "Direction of Universal Principles / Values".

After a decade of frantic change, it is time for me and for the world to use IT as a vehicle for change towards a quality society based on a sharedvision that can provide growth to everyone's potential. A change that cangenerate positive synergy that enriches life and empowers people to contribute their best. We need a re-orientation of change in using IT as a mechanism to create a meaningful purpose of life for mankind, and not focusing on IT as the ultimate destination of our life.

IT experts should not work in isolation to keep changing the technology, but to keep in touch with their own souls, exploring the underlying humanvalues and principles that can manifest through their IT innovation. In this way, my life can be better steered and shaped towards a "Quality Direction".

End.