Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
To say that the home environment causes criminal behavior is inadequate.
Criminal behavior may be caused by a congenital psychological defect exacer-
bated by home environment and social interactions with peers. Similarly, when an
information professional is asked, “What is the population of Chicago?” we have
an apparently simple question. However, does the client want the current popula-
tion? How current? Does he or she want the city as defined by the city limits, or the
metropolitan area? Even the simplest question is more complex than it appears.
While we may yearn for simplistic solutions to problems like poverty, crime, and
the rising cost of living, such issues have multiple causes. However, politicians
running for office still attempt to apply linearly causal solutions to mutually caused
social problems. As information professionals, we must resist the urge to provide
simplistic answers to complex questions and problems. We have a professional
obligation to help our clients understand the complexity of issues by providing them
with examples of various viewpoints.
Objective to Perspective
The term “objective” refers to things outside our thoughts and feelings. This
term suggests the presentation of facts without bias. Although it is commonly sug-
gested that we should be “objective” about an issue or a person, individuals are in-
fluenced by their experiences over time, and we form opinions about issues. Since
we cannot be totally objective, let's recognize that we have a perspective, and it is
an important perspective. Kuhn stresses that reality is a function of the belief sys-
tem we hold. As information professionals, we must be aware of our perspective
on issues and be willing to announce our biases when dealing with sensitive is-
sues.
Summarizing the Paradigm Shift
The emerging view of reality is most succinctly described by the change in
metaphor used to describe the image. The machine metaphor of the industrial
age is being replaced by the hologram metaphor, which appears to be a truer
likeness of the networked world. Information is distributed throughout the system;
everything is interconnected, as manifested by the new concepts of outsourcing,
insourcing, offshoring, open sourcing, supply chaining, and plug and playing,
among others. These terms describe today's networked world, which is being
reshaped and reconfigured every nanosecond and which, in turn, reshapes us.
Herein lie the current societal revolution and the framework for understanding the
impact of the Internet on information transfer and the information infrastructure.
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