The obligation to accept the changes
The IT world that surrounds us is build up with software, that needs to be current. This is understandable — but, to some point. Of course we need to follow particular usage changes, update things to modern surroundings. But in my opinion, technology starts to fast forward and impress advances on it’s users, and yes, we have to follow.
It all began with the new Messenger — I hate it, really. My group of friends & me used the communicator to either chat, ask on how the day was going or even work on some projects. It’s so much harder to do so, when the impressed changes forced a smaller message box, pulling stickers and pictures to the frontline instead. Messenger becomes more Instagram-ish, and it’s hard to understand why, since we all have Instagram too. I get the point of Facebook wanting to be one-stop-platform, but discriminating users, that just wanted to have a conversation enchanted with stickers, seems to be a quite stupid move…
If you are okay with the Messenger update, try to think of an actualization, that has changed the way you use things around you. It might be an iOS upgrade, new Word, Trello renewal. Anything that made you wonder — ugh, I wish to go back to the older version. Do you have something that qualifies? There’s no option to “go back”, as the point of actualization is to follow, no matter if you like it or not. Reverse actualizations would make millions in my impression, since not every update “works” or is user friendly. The thing is, that you have the obligation to upgrade, or stay with the old version excluded from some of the crucial applications. And nobody really cares or gives a damn about asking before upgrading, with a simple pop-up or an information that an update is being prepared. Too much data to swallow.
But, besides a look behind the shoulder at Windows 97, when everything was simpler and easier to find, we might take a minute to think if the updates served, change social interactions that we choose to uptake in the internet world. Some things are more accented then others, some are forced upon us, and it’s not even the matter of getting used to, but a matter of new usage options — smaller text boxes, larger photo icons. The technology stopped following it’s users, and tends to be ahead of them — I would call it sociopolITics, as some prognosed trends are becoming true because of the fact of implementing them in apps. So whatever you foresee, comes alive and becomes a fact. Will this change the way I communicate with my colleagues? No, it will make us just more frustrated. Will it have an impact on some other conversations or groups? Yes, definitely. And in what way, we are about to discover.
