In this short piece, as we "pioneer in field of cyberspace", I'm sharing a few thoughts on place of technology in these early days of "Knowledge economy", which may be of interest.
"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it." - Jonathan Winters
"AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE NEW FRONTIER OF CYBERSPACE"
by Craig Lock
"The next information revolution is well under way...It is not a revolution in technology, machinery, techniques, software, or speed. It is a revolution in CONCEPTS." (Drucker, 1998) "
"Money is what fueled industrial society. But in informational society, fuel, power, is knowledge. One has now come to see a new class structure divided by those who have information and those who must function out of ignorance. This new class has its power not from money, not from land, but from knowledge."
- John Kenneth Galbraith
Bill Gates once described "Information Age as "Wild West of Cyberspace." A few years ago, he also said there would be two kinds of businesses in year 2001: 1.those online and 2. those out of business!
What is knowledge?
"He who receives an idea from me receives instruction himself, without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine receives light without darkening me." - Thomas Jefferson
We are becoming ever-more a "knowledge society" - with rapid diffusion (big word!) and exchanging of huge amounts of information daily. This makes sheer volume of knowledge difficult to absorb.
We are seeing "little" New Zealand's rapid transition from a pastoral to a knowledge economy, as we are fast "catching and riding knowledge wave". I believe it's more "an age of wisdom" in sharing information world-wide through amazing power of internet.
Here in far-off New Zealand (near bottom of world), I believe we have an excellent foundation to be extremely successful in global economy. However, we must move speedily ahead to be a far more "knowledge-driven" economy; otherwise we could become "also rans" in ultra-competitive global market place.
I truly believe that many New Zealanders have not yet recognised that Internet is modern equivalent of 'freezer ships of yonder', that revolutionised our economy last century. As we enter twenty-first century, Internet will be our 'key vessel' for reaching global markets from these far-off "sleepy shores". I think that we should be finding new paths for social and economic development. Knowledge is replacing old sources of wealth and power, as driving source in world's most successful societies. We must become a "knowledge export" platform...and that is vision for my little business, Eagle Productions based in provincial NZ.
In effect, we are creating wealth through comercialisation of ideas. We are utilizing to fullest, amazing creative potential of human IMAGINATION to reach world.