Contemporary Society - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 25

and digital video all found their way into the marketplace first as entertainment
packages. To anticipate changes in technology applications, information profes-
sionals are advised to watch trends in the use of new technologies for entertain-
ment as possible precursors to information use for other purposes. Cost, affordab-
ility, and packaging of information aligned with cultural values are key factors in the
dissemination and diffusion of innovation and information.
Technology
The availability of computers, telecommunications, and other technologies be-
comes increasingly relevant to the processes of information transfer in a society.
As noted above, the application of new technology to the transfer of information is
dictated by economics. Affordability precedes adaptation on a wide scale.
Moore's Law helps us understand the affordability of technology. Gordon
Moore, cofounder of Intel, made this prediction in 1965: “The number of transistors
on a chip will approximately double every 24 months” (Intel). As a result, the scale
gets smaller and smaller.
Technological innovation has transformed all aspects of information creation,
recording, mass production, distribution, organization, storage, retrieval, and use.
With rapid changes in technology, the transfer of information has been changed
dramatically. The ability to transmit, store, and retrieve information on smart
phones, tablet computers, and laptop computers, along with the availability of in-
stant messaging and social media, has had a major impact on daily life and on
business and professional practice.
Technology has had a significant impact on education at all levels. Distance is
overcome in public schools and in higher education through videoconferencing,
enabling learners in remote areas to participate in learning experiences previously
unavailable to them.
Because the Internet is ubiquitous, control of information is no longer possible.
Control is a desirable attribute in the Industrial Age, but control is not possible
with the access to information dispersed through the Internet. Although the govern-
ments of China and other countries have attempted control of information, smart
phones and social media have enabled people to break through the controls that
were imposed. The above variables influence each other and, in turn, influence
various elements of the information infrastructure.
Culture Shapes Values and Paradigms
Previously we defined “culture” as all of the elements that make a society
unique: language, history, music, dress, and customs that have evolved over time.