the_machine_is_us/ing_us

The age of the internet has exponentially increased the level of change that the world is seeing. The 'machine' has led to a society that is extremely well connected. It has indeed become 'us'. The internet has become my own source for news, entertainment, corresponding, and learning. More and more seldom do I rely on the printed news and television, though they are not obsolete. I depend on my computer to bring those two elements of 'yesterday' to the comforts of my own space. 

As an individual who has been in the forty hour-a-week world and who will shortly re-enter that world for a final time, I see the machine and web 2.0 as exciting elements for the workplace. The possibilities for any profession, including architecture, are greatly expanded. I believe that my prospects for design will surpass those who are ahead of me, and those who follow will have possibilities even greater than my own. 

Those who are already in the workplace are not at a disadvantage, but must realize that they are at a critical crossroads. Their ability to evolve and learn will determine their own relevance to the field. They must be capable of rethinking anything and everything. In our changing world, nothing is constant. Consequently, this should include everyone's own thoughts. Rethinking everything is not going to change someone, but it will change how they can contribute to the evolving world of web 2.0.