ICT and world change

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is an indispensable factor in the world development. ICT includes mass media, internet, gaming, wireless technologies, interactive communications, information system, cloud computing, knowledge management etc… ICT has gone through massive development from the time it first emerged.

Mass media in the past is a passive means of communication. People got information from televisions or newspapers and accepted these information as the matter of fact. But nowadays, electronic newspapers and social networks enable people to discuss their concerns, get feedbacks from others, not only in their neighborhood, in their countries but from people around the world. Mass media has evolved from a passive means of communication into an interactive, flexible means for people to share and challenge perspectives. One presentation in the class also discuss the future of television. Televisions in the future interact with audiences effectively to satisfy audiences’ needs. Audiences do not passively watch a movie but they can decide its endings. Mass media has evolved from a passive means of communication into an interactive, flexible means for people to share and challenge perspectives.

Internet also observes a impressive development from Internet 1.0 to 2.0 and then 3.0. At the stage of 1.0 and 2.0, people create content and share information on the internet. Electronic newspapers and forums enable people to receive information and share their interests. Social network websites such as Facebook, Twitter remove distances among people so that people can interact everywhere. Internet is now going towards Internet 3.0. As Prof said, Internet 3.0 is the continuation of the earlier stages. At the stage of Internet 3.0, Internet will involve in every single activities. Machines are also interconnected, information is exchanged freely from people to machines and devices in order to satisfy individual needs. As Prof pointed out, some companies such as Google or Amazon have already applied Internet 3.0 to satisfy customers’ needs.

The importance of knowledge management is mentioned one more time in the class. Since people are heading to knowledge economy, the role of knowledge management can not be denied. Companies which wants to survive in the modern economy must transfer knowledge from their experts to employees and also take advantage of their employees’ ideas and knowledge. The efficiency of knowledge management is related to the productivity gain in society. Prof shows graph “Capturing the value of ICT/Knowledge Revolution” which demonstrates the productivity gain of human development stages. According to the graph, ICT/ Knowledge Revolution has not grown its full potential. How to grow full potential is an important question to be answered. One way to gain productivity is improving knowledge management. Moreover, people should apply ICT into solving fundamental issues such as improving education quality, alleviating poverty so that people everywhere have equal opportunities to grow their potential.

“Today’s real borders are not between nations, but between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, privileged and humiliated.”

- Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations -

One question raised by the class today is "How ICT/ Knowledge Revolution can improve equality in society?"

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