Blog 3 : Illich/Borgmann

I found the Illich reading to be particularly interesting because the stuff it describes is so easily taken for granted, specifically the ordering devices in our world today. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to use random chance in order to find a specific text. At one point in the passage it said that in Hugh’s time, everyone could recite the alphabet, but it was never used as an ordering device. In today’s world, we can type a couple of words into a search engine and come up with an unlimited amount of information in only seconds. The long way would be considered paging through the library catalogue for a couple of minutes in order to find the text that you need. The thought of paging through thousands of pages with no particular direction as to where your pertinent information is located is crazy to think about. The Borgmann reading in chapter one was a bit confusing but after going over it in class I agree with what he is saying. I think that most people are just accepting technology as a definite positive when it comes to everything without challenging that thought at all. One particular quote was on page 5 when he said, “Whatever is touched by information technology detaches itself from its foundation and retains a bond to its origin that is no more substantial than the Hope diamond’s tie to the mine where it was found.” If you think about it everything is becoming this way. Instead of experiencing things in person, people are doing it through technology. People really do have the whole world at their fingertips when it comes to technology, and it will only get more advanced in the future.