The course content continues to be intriguing and challenging. I enjoyed class last Thursday especially the Q&A scavenger hunt and the interactive discussion of the answers.
Cliche of the week: (paraphrasing) "You don't know where you're going, unless you know where you've been."
While some cliches drive me crazy, this one always rings true to me. In my opinion, for an individual to truly be a thought leader or expert on a subject, they must have a comprehensive 360 degree understanding of the issue or topic at hand. For instance, would you hire a pianist to play jazz standards at your wedding who has only studied and performed contemporary pop music over the last four years? There is very low probability that this person would be a great jazz artist without having studied and listened to hours of the jazz greats such as, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Hunter, Charles Mingus, etc (I could go on for hours....).
Anyway, the same is true for internet technology expertise, which emphasizes the significance of our class from last Thursday. How can I expect to be an innovator in information systems and internet technology without knowing the history of our internet infrastructure? I look forward to exploring the resources that Dr. Piercy has shared with us in order to continue understanding "where we've been."
One final thought of caution: while knowing where you've been is paramount to understanding an issue, it can also stifle innovation and productivity. One must not be complacent with the mindset, "we do it this way because that's how we've always done it." As UGA MIT students we must challenge ourselves to constantly reexamine why things are the way they are and what, if any, are the areas for improvement.
adios,
D
Good ending comment about the importance of not resting on the tried and true. One goal is to become the change agents - those who apply new techniques and technologies in exciting ways affect change in our organizations.
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