Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
ZBIGNIEWZALESKI
THEJOHNPAULIICATHOLICUNIVERSITYOFLUBLIN,POLAND
InternetasPsychologicalChallenge.
GeneralComments
WitnessingtheInformationalRevolution
ThewidespreadingusageoftheInternetisarevolutionparexcellenceno
comparabletoanysuchrevolutionbefore.Itsreach,speed,facilityinusinglarge
amountofcontentsandubiquitouspresenceconsitutearealchallengetohuman
beings.Whattotakefromit,howtokeepcontrolofit,maintainindependence,
protectprivacyandavoidpotentialtrickery–thesearetheconcernsofpresent
Internetusers.Thelast25yearshavechangedtheworldintermsofknowledge
andinterpersonalcontactsregardlesswherepeopleare.
Myreflectionsherearebasedonpersonalexperience.WhenlivingatUCLA
inLosAngeles1984-86asKościuszkoFoundationscholar,Ifirstexperienced
thebenefitofcomputertechnologyinwritingtextsandperformingdataanalysis
(SPSS)and,uponreturningtoLublin,IinitiatedtheinstallationofPCsatthe
mainhalloftheuniversity.Themachineswerefastenedtothewallbyametal
strip.„Whowouldusethem?”–askedoneAmericanwomanstudyingPolish.An
uncomfortablequestion.Well,someWesternvisitors,afewreturningexchange
academicslikemyself.Thiswasthebeginning.Ifacedalackofunderstanding
fromtheuniversityauthoritieswheninstallingthecomputersroomasaseparate
laboratory.Slowly,butsurelytheseattitudesofmistrustchanged.
AftertheresearchinCaliforniaIspentsomemonthsattheMaxPlanckIn-
stituteinMunichandreturnedwithmydissertation(habilitation)onfloppy
disks(reallybig,softandveryfragile,whichtheCzechcustomsofficersput
throughtheX-raymachinesattheairport.Arg!)buttherewasonlyonePCat
UMCSMathematicLaboratory(Lublin),whereIcouldsitaftermidnightfor
awhilemakingcorrectionstothetext.Byhappyaccident,whilsttravellingby
traintoWarszawa,ImetamanfromthesmalltownnearWarszawawhohad
smuggledaPCfromtheWestandoffereditsusageinhisplaceifeverneeded.
Whatakindoffer.
