A quote spotted on the Aqus website, caught Eagle-Eyes’ attention and he promptly passed it on to “Hammerhead” who really got excited. He remembered that “Me, Myself, & I” studied John Dewey’s philosophy over 50 years ago and is still a strong believer in its application to current societal situations.
Whatever the future may have in store, one thing is for certain. Unless local communal life can be restored, the public will never be able to solve its most urgent social problems. We lie in the lap of an immense intelligence. But that intelligence is dormant and its communications are broken, inarticulate and faint until it possesses the local community as its medium. – John Dewey (1859-1952)
Regular readers will recall that the origin of PetalumaNet in 1995 was based upon the need to promote greater use of telecommunications and computer technology in all sectors of a community: government, business, health care, nonprofit organizations, as well as education. That challenge to American society was pretty much accomplished in the period 1995-2005, or what might be labeled PetalumaNet 1.0. Over the past few years, our focus has been upon how to motivate computer-literate citizens to use this new form of literacy in a way that will enable them to achieve their desired goals and objects in a more effective, efficient, and economical manner. Most established groups are in the process of doing that now. Insufficient broadband and money have been the reasons why more hasn’t been accomplished to date. For the record, the United States no longer leads the world in this field. Recent polls indicate that U.S. broadband penetration (subscribers per 100 inhabitants) has dropped from 4th place in 2001 to 15th or 16th in 2007.
Although ICT (Information & Computer Technology) was not around in Dewey’s time, it is a tool that has proven to be invaluable in helping organizations and agencies solve the complex social problems of the 21st. Century. A simple search of the Internet will bring up millions of links to case studies and successful projects that have taken place over the past decade. What might this have to do with the future of PetalumaNet as it prepares for its 2.0 phase? This volunteer Cybernaut still believes that the quality of our local communal life can be enhanced through greater use of ICT, in combination with the greatest resource of any community –the collective wisdom, intelligence, and creativity of its citizens.
What are these urgent social problems that are still unresolved? At what level do we need to strengthen communications? How do we motivate the local citizenry to become more involved.Your thoughts, ideas, and comments? Stay tuned. We’re still adjusting our sails.
P.S. Maybe this post doesn’t point toward a new course at all. My “memory chip” just kicked in and flashed back to 11-28-06, Bill’s Blog #34 – People coming together to -?(Check it out in the archives, to the right)