Dan said: "Today's global economy is spiky. What's more, the tallest spikes, the cities and regions that drive the world economy, are growing ever higher while the valleys, with little economic activity, recede still further."
Very true. A few years ago, much was made of the fact that Verizon had established the first statewide fiber optic network here in West Virginia. It was the "backbone" of a network, not a full-fledged neural network, of course. The same economies of scale that historically prevented travel through some of this state's rugged terrain, and the same factors Dan enumerates, have prevented the further evolution of this network and the arrival of technology leaders we hoped it might attract. Innovation is only a spark. To fan the flames of any new idea or industry requires very personal, very human connections that always have happened, and always will happen, in the places where innovative people congregate in relatively large numbers. That presents eager young hotshots with a choice, but it's by no means the whole picture. Yes, I sacrifice something by not living in such a place; and so do those who uproot themselves to travel to whatever pseudo-Mecca they seek. If we learned nothing else from the IBM (I've Been Moved) era of post-industrial America, we should have learned that in the long term our peace of mind is integrally connected to our sense of place and our social connectedness, or cohesiveness. Is this obvious only to those of us who've studied social anthropology and psychology? I don't mean to be a naysayer. I just want to affirm the importance of blooming where you're planted. Sometimes we're better off creating opportunity than seeking it -- especially if we're dragging a young family around with us! If employers hold on to the notion/expectation of a global and infinitely mobile workforce, I think in the long run they'll be terribly disappointed. Community and society cannot sustain that or be sustained by it, and anarchy is never a good climate for any human enterprise -- including business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=26170 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
