There are a number of different manners in which people relate to technology. Until now, I`ve known several. There`s the gadget-sporting tech junkie, like my colleague who goes about armed with mobile phone, PDA, laptop and a number of miscellaneous dongles about his person at any given time.
The Internet has not made as deep a mark on the general populace as many hoped it might; there has been no lasting change permeating consumer behaviour.
Basheera Khan, journalist, ITWeb
This sort of devotion is understandable, when one considers the increased flexibility that can be lent when there`s a constant source of mobile processing power at one`s fingertips. He`s been known to spend the day in bed, all the while being more productive than the rest of us office-bound drones distracted by coffee breaks and the open plan layout.
It`s also good for a laugh every now and again - like the time all the devices on his desk suddenly began communicating with each other via infrared ports. The ensuing scramble for damage control was quite spectacular, and only slightly more entertaining than watching the stock markets collapse.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is the "luser" - people whose interest in technology extends as far as the stretch for the phone, to call in tech support when their toolbars in MS Word go missing.
And in the middle, one finds what I can only term the Curios Georges of corporate existence. These are people who`ve gained a certain proficiency with desktop applications, and having conquered that milestone, experiment with a number of other facets of technology. They discover online gaming, shareware and that sublime offering - freeware. They download as much as they can, register on as many Web sites as they need to, buy online for the first time, and the novelty of it all is a powerful rush.
Stagnation
What then? When one has grown accustomed to the nature of the Net, and can proceed with the business of consumption at a steadier pace, there`s a period of stagnation that the average consumer will inevitably reach. Downloads no longer excite as they used to, e-mail newsletters become a pain in the unmentionables and once favourite Web sites go unvisited for weeks on end.
Most technology developers have realised this, and are very doggedly pursuing the goal of "always on" devices. It is dependent on a number of contributing factors - not the least of which in this country are regulation, bandwidth and affordability - but without the consumers to make it profitable, always-on technology might take a nosedive reminiscent of Iridium`s satellite project failure.
The key is to aim for the technology-aware consumer - not necessarily to the extent to which my freaky friend has taken it, but definitely to the point where the day to day routine is augmented and improved by the injection of information and online services.
My view is that the Internet has not made as deep a mark on the general populace as many hoped it might. There has been no lasting change permeating online consumer behaviour.
Regardless of how many Web services I`ve registered for, I find myself increasingly following the same almost conservative pattern of consumption that makes room for technology primarily when I`m at work. It all boils down to access - until I have that mobile device that combines all the most useful functionalities of my mobile phone, PDA and PC, and most importantly, is affordable both to acquire and maintain, I doubt much will change.
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