Space and Time

Digesting everything learnt so far in Net 11 studies in order to get my head around some of the concepts that particularly interest me. Regular readers of my blog will know I've grappled with technology and terminology and have given myself to musing over the concept of time more than once.

Coming into this Unit I believed that the internet was a big space 'out there somewhere' that was without boundaries - no geographical boundaries, no time boundaries, no legal boundaries. This space enabled me to save time. Quickly and efficiently I could find information. Searching was one of the first skills I developed because it appealed to the nosy me ... the one who loves to research anything! And what a minefield of information out there!! A joy for someone like me. I was an early email adopter and, once I started running a business from home and then starting up a Web 2.0 website my internet learning curve was rapid and, I thought, pretty comprehensive.

The space got bigger for me and the concept of time grew to include the revelation that I did not need to hop a plane to 'take meetings' in the US to do business for my site ... I merely exchanged emails, forwarded hyperlinks, received hyperlinks to develop business relationships across the other side of the globe ... a time (and money) saver indeed! How would I have gone about making those contacts without the internet?

Then I discovered, courtesy of Net 11 studies, that I'd only skimmed the surface of all there is to know. More terminology to grasp, more tools, more concepts to think about and all related back to the question of how my use of the internet is effected by and affects ME.

Some of the tools I have dismissed as downright useless for me. Some I have marvelled at and may incorporate. Some I'd like to get to know better but require me to find the time to explore at greater length.

Ultimately I conclude that making the most of this incredible space means evaluating time and its relationship to my world. If I'm going to be any good at incorporating the internet into my world, in a manner that serves my needs, then I need to develop the skills to be the best practitioner I can be. I need to be discerning. I need to understand that some things will be useful and applicable and some things I can reject. I need to understand the asynchronous nature of the space and give communication and connection due consideration.