Info technology affects human ties<\/p>\n
By Markus Krisetya<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Being online or connected to the Internet and
\nthe World Wide Web has become very fashionable in Indonesia. A
\nnew crop of Internet providers are now racing to provide
\naffordable and reliable services to allow more and more of us to
\nbe part of the Information Superhighway. Some of us can now boast
\nan e-mail address on our business cards and talk about discussion
\ngroups on the Internet. But for the majority of Indonesians, the
\nonly highway they know is the toll road to work.<\/p>\n
Such is the case at a client's office. In spite of their very
\nsophisticated network, they are not yet linked to the Internet.
\nThis however did not deter one person from setting up an
\n\"intranet\" or an internal electronic communication system.<\/p>\n
Equipped with the existing network, a shared network drive and
\na word processor, an electronic discussion forum was established.
\nThe idea caught on like wild fire across the company and in no
\ntime at all everyone was jumping on to check on the latest issues
\nbeing discussed and let their own thoughts be known.<\/p>\n
Its popularity was so great that the management became
\nsomewhat irate because a large number of employees were spending
\ntoo much time on the forum during working hours.<\/p>\n
The forum was a success in many ways. At the time, the company
\nwas facing communication problems between the management and its
\nemployees. Because a majority in the management are expatriates,
\nthe added complexity of a language barrier had led to many
\ncommunication breakdowns and misunderstandings. The forum allowed
\nemployees to discuss issues in a setting that was less
\nintimidating than a formal meeting. Because the language of
\nchoice was Indonesian it generated a lot of discussion that would
\nhave been otherwise subdued due to poor knowledge of English
\namong the staff. The forum also brought together diverse ideas
\nfrom all over the company.<\/p>\n
But like any other electronic communication media, on the
\nInternet or elsewhere, the forum was soon plagued by employees
\nwho were oblivious to what is commonly know as Netiquette. The
\nuse of a word processor allowed anyone to deface any message that
\nwas posted. Employees started getting into the habit of \"flaming\"
\n-- posting unsavory and derogatory remarks about other
\nemployees. Because of the open access, other employees started
\ndeleting messages they found offensive. Worse, anonymity became
\nthe norm. Those who regularly cruise the Internet will confirm
\nthat these problems are also prevalent on the Net.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that the Internet, electronic mail and
\nelectronic discussion forums are major cornerstones of the
\nInformation Age. With the advent of the Internet many companies
\nhave been able to substantially reduce their telephone bills by
\nencouraging their employees to use e-mail. Not only can e-mail
\nreduce costs, but it also provides an excellent form of
\ndocumentation that a telephone conversation cannot duplicate. The
\nuse of internal company e-mail has all the benefits of e-mail on
\nthe Internet and it also can cut down on the use of paper for
\nexcessive internal company memos and documents.<\/p>\n
Discussion forums allow people of different backgrounds,
\nsocial and economic classes, gender and sex to share ideas on a
\nsimilar footing where each person's idea gains merit based solely
\non the idea itself, not on the background of the person. The
\nintroduction of interactive Web pages have added new dimensions
\nthat makes you giddy to think of all the untapped possibilities.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, in the process, subtle cultural changes that
\nare occurring have not received their due share of attention
\nbecause most of us are lost in the frenetic pace on the
\nInformation Superhighway.<\/p>\n
Electronic mail has introduced to us a reliable and efficient
\nmethod of communication. For some it has, at the same time,
\nintroduced a new barrier. Some people have found it easier to
\n\"hide\" behind e-mail rather than face a person directly.
\nSimilarly, the task of having to face a group of employees is
\noften replaced by a faceless e-mail with a distribution list, a
\ndefinite decline in the effectiveness of interpersonal
\ncommunication.<\/p>\n
Anonymous electronic messages on bulletins also nurture
\nirresponsible attitudes. People cannot be held accountable for
\ntheir actions. Our own culture, while refined in many areas, is
\nweak when it comes to objectivity; which is one of the reasons
\nthat the forum where I work is purely anonymous. People fear the
\nrepercussions of their thoughts and actions. A sad testimony to
\nthe state of democratic development in our country. But does this
\njustify the habit of anonymity?<\/p>\n
Another cultural change is apathy. This perhaps is best
\nexplained by the famous acronym NATO: No Action, Talk Only. It is
\nmonumentally easier to complain about a problem and put down
\npeople we don't like than to tackle the problem directly and
\nsolve personal problems face to face.<\/p>\n
As the Information Superhighway begins to spread into the
\nrealm of virtual worlds, the prospects of even more deficient
\ninterpersonal and communication skills are frightening. There are
\nno signposts on the Superhighway to caution us of such problems
\nor stop signs to let us know when we are going too far. Before we
\nslip too far into virtual relationships and cyber communication
\nskills, we should be remind ourselves that we can switch off the
\ncomputer, step outside, knock on the door of your neighbor and
\ntalk to him or her face to face.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/info-technology-affects-human-ties-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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