Week 2 Reading Reaction

After reading both articles concerning the symbiotic relationship between man and computer and the relationships that are being developed as a consequence of the increased use of technology as a from of communication. As a person who has grown up in the "digital age" I know all too well how the role of technology can become problematic. It seems that people are more prone to use their phone to text or send an email rather than speak with someone face to face. It seems that the ability to communicate is becoming a lost art and given the role of technology in our everyday lives, it is evident that technology is affecting the way that we think, such as the language that is used to communicate, ie, LOL, LMAO, or SMH. (If you do not know these terms good, you still have a chance to lead a normal conversation where you do not need a translation button to explain what people are actually saying.)

I feel that the readings brought up some central points in the relationship that develops as a consequence of technology. On the one hand you have a the programming aspect where humans have the ability to set machine to perform functions. Ultimately this is timely and can be challenging, but the ultimate ability of machines to aid in the achievement of humans is necessary. The problem for many developers and researchers is how to create within machines the ability to be able to anticipate or create reactions to situations that would allow for a thought process that is not simply linear. I am certain that this type of technology is being developed and in time there will be machines with such ability. My concern in the development of machines that are able to think rather than compute. The problem with machines thinking is that ultimately the question of consciousness comes about and I am concerned about machines that have awareness but not necessarily the capacity to process such an awareness as humans.

I do agree that in many instances the use of technological relationships through phone and email may be substituting the face-to-face relationships that are necessary for the growth of people. Although I do feel that in the world of information the ability to communicate is important, but the the need to reflect and process is more so important and I feel that it is limited because if people are in such a rush to communicate but do not reflect on what they are saying, then the words have little meaning or purpose.