Technology and Prayer

I was discussing with a colleague this morning the two big myths about technology.

First, that technology can solve nothing. It is just a useless new "fad". It doesn't matter what the technology is, and the "it" is always changing. Whether it has been the telephone, the car, the cell phone, the personal computer, the CD. There are always some people who believe all technology is not worth the effort and won't produce anything useful. Eventually, these people are proven wrong.

Second, that technology can solve everything. The people who believe this are just as bad as the first group. They believe that, whatever the problem, the "tech people" can/will wave their "magic tech wand" and fix all.

Both beliefs come out of the same lack of understanding. Technology is a tool. Pure and simple. Anything that has in the past been thought of as "technology" is eventually labeled a "tool." To copy from dictionary.com "Tool applies broadly to a device that facilitates work". That's it. It does not do the work for you.

The definition of technology from wikipedia states "Technology can be most broadly defined as the material entities created by the application of mental and physical effort to nature in order to achieve some value. In this use, technology is the current state of our knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants. Technology in this sense includes technical methods, skills, processes, techniques, tools and raw materials (for example, in such uses as computer technology, construction technology, or medical technology)." Technology does not do work. It facilitates work.

Later in the discussion with my colleague, I brought up the correspondence between technology and prayer. Technology is like prayer in that, to be truly useful, both must be maintained constantly. However, most people use both tech and prayer in the same manner. Do nothing / ignore it until there is some huge problem, then ask tech/pray that tech/God bend the laws of physics for you. That is not the way either tech or prayer work.

Tech can not solve business problems. Good, critical thinking solves business problems. Sometimes, the solution involves technology.

Aloha.