Info technology affects human ties

By Markus Krisetya

JAKARTA (JP): Being online or connected to the Internet and the World Wide Web has become very fashionable in Indonesia. A new crop of Internet providers are now racing to provide affordable and reliable services to allow more and more of us to be part of the Information Superhighway. Some of us can now boast an e-mail address on our business cards and talk about discussion groups on the Internet. But for the majority of Indonesians, the only highway they know is the toll road to work.

Such is the case at a client's office. In spite of their very sophisticated network, they are not yet linked to the Internet. This however did not deter one person from setting up an "intranet" or an internal electronic communication system.

Equipped with the existing network, a shared network drive and a word processor, an electronic discussion forum was established. The idea caught on like wild fire across the company and in no time at all everyone was jumping on to check on the latest issues being discussed and let their own thoughts be known.

Its popularity was so great that the management became somewhat irate because a large number of employees were spending too much time on the forum during working hours.

The forum was a success in many ways. At the time, the company was facing communication problems between the management and its employees. Because a majority in the management are expatriates, the added complexity of a language barrier had led to many communication breakdowns and misunderstandings. The forum allowed employees to discuss issues in a setting that was less intimidating than a formal meeting. Because the language of choice was Indonesian it generated a lot of discussion that would have been otherwise subdued due to poor knowledge of English among the staff. The forum also brought together diverse ideas from all over the company.

But like any other electronic communication media, on the Internet or elsewhere, the forum was soon plagued by employees who were oblivious to what is commonly know as Netiquette. The use of a word processor allowed anyone to deface any message that was posted. Employees started getting into the habit of "flaming" -- posting unsavory and derogatory remarks about other employees. Because of the open access, other employees started deleting messages they found offensive. Worse, anonymity became the norm. Those who regularly cruise the Internet will confirm that these problems are also prevalent on the Net.

There is no doubt that the Internet, electronic mail and electronic discussion forums are major cornerstones of the Information Age. With the advent of the Internet many companies have been able to substantially reduce their telephone bills by encouraging their employees to use e-mail. Not only can e-mail reduce costs, but it also provides an excellent form of documentation that a telephone conversation cannot duplicate. The use of internal company e-mail has all the benefits of e-mail on the Internet and it also can cut down on the use of paper for excessive internal company memos and documents.

Discussion forums allow people of different backgrounds, social and economic classes, gender and sex to share ideas on a similar footing where each person's idea gains merit based solely on the idea itself, not on the background of the person. The introduction of interactive Web pages have added new dimensions that makes you giddy to think of all the untapped possibilities.

Unfortunately, in the process, subtle cultural changes that are occurring have not received their due share of attention because most of us are lost in the frenetic pace on the Information Superhighway.

Electronic mail has introduced to us a reliable and efficient method of communication. For some it has, at the same time, introduced a new barrier. Some people have found it easier to "hide" behind e-mail rather than face a person directly. Similarly, the task of having to face a group of employees is often replaced by a faceless e-mail with a distribution list, a definite decline in the effectiveness of interpersonal communication.

Anonymous electronic messages on bulletins also nurture irresponsible attitudes. People cannot be held accountable for their actions. Our own culture, while refined in many areas, is weak when it comes to objectivity; which is one of the reasons that the forum where I work is purely anonymous. People fear the repercussions of their thoughts and actions. A sad testimony to the state of democratic development in our country. But does this justify the habit of anonymity?

Another cultural change is apathy. This perhaps is best explained by the famous acronym NATO: No Action, Talk Only. It is monumentally easier to complain about a problem and put down people we don't like than to tackle the problem directly and solve personal problems face to face.

As the Information Superhighway begins to spread into the realm of virtual worlds, the prospects of even more deficient interpersonal and communication skills are frightening. There are no signposts on the Superhighway to caution us of such problems or stop signs to let us know when we are going too far. Before we slip too far into virtual relationships and cyber communication skills, we should be remind ourselves that we can switch off the computer, step outside, knock on the door of your neighbor and talk to him or her face to face.