Comments on: Co-evolution http://www.socialstartups.com/2008/07/03/co-evolution/ All that's new in the social computing space. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:04:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Joshua Porter http://www.socialstartups.com/2008/07/03/co-evolution/#comment-827 Joshua Porter Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:02:32 +0000 http://www.socialstartups.com/2008/07/03/co-evolution/#comment-827 Good point, David. I think you're right about newer generations having better intuition about technology. I just read a piece on Clay Shirky in which he says that the big difference between him and his students (a different generation) is that they don't have to unlearn things. In other words, they're better at grasping new technology because they don't have the barrier of experience. Experience, for all its value, can be a pain in situations of extreme change. So in terms of co-evolution, I would say that perhaps we simply evolve (behaviorally) more slowly than younger folks, since we have habits we've built up over time. Thanks for bringing this back to real terms...is it our behavior that is co-evolving with technology, or is it co-evolving with other people's behavior, leaving technology as merely the means of communication? Good point, David. I think you’re right about newer generations having better intuition about technology. I just read a piece on Clay Shirky in which he says that the big difference between him and his students (a different generation) is that they don’t have to unlearn things. In other words, they’re better at grasping new technology because they don’t have the barrier of experience. Experience, for all its value, can be a pain in situations of extreme change.

So in terms of co-evolution, I would say that perhaps we simply evolve (behaviorally) more slowly than younger folks, since we have habits we’ve built up over time.

Thanks for bringing this back to real terms…is it our behavior that is co-evolving with technology, or is it co-evolving with other people’s behavior, leaving technology as merely the means of communication?

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