It has been a good 20 years since I taught Information Systems at the local community college.  With the help of Webster’s Dictionary(the actual book) I defined the Information Revolution as “rapidly changing knowledge communicated or received”.  I then presented the words of several futurists predicting the societal impact of the “Information Revolution”.
Alvin Toffler discussed the economic implications of an Information based economy by stating “information is not finite like a car or furniture, you can’t really own it.  in fact if you give your information away you will likely end up with more”.  John Naisbitt spoke of how our isolating technologies would create a huge demand for REAL social interaction resulting in a boom for Churches, Civic Organizations, Live Entertainment, Shopping Centers, and  anything that gets us REAL face time with our friends, family and neighbors.  He called it High Tech-High Touch.

None of the research I did back then hinted at anything like the internet, or the rise in companies like Google or Facebook or Amazon or eBay.   While it certainly can be said that we have MUCH MUCH more information, I am still not sure it can be said we have an information based economy.  Unless of course we are all supposed to be selling e-books on how to make money on the internet by selling e-books on how to make money on the internet.  There was an economist who once postulated you could have an economy wherein half the country got paid to dig holes and the other half got paid to fill them in. But I don’t think that’s the same thing as no one getting paid to post their daily routine on facebook so anyone can read about it for free.  As for the High Touch prophecy, the only thing I see being touched is the screen on the device that links the individual to their facebook page. 

And now, there is “The Cloud”.  Store your life in the void, they tell us,  so that you and your friends will be able to access it from anywhere.  Let your devices learn about you so the bits and bytes can tell you what you are interested in, what you want to do, where you need to go, and even how you are feeling.  I am told that the Cloud is going to be just like any public utility.  Plug in and you will get all the information you will ever need without having to EVER lookup from your smartphone.        

Personally, I love isolation when I am creating something, but when I am done, I really miss the sound of live human reaction coming from live humans in same room with me.
There is something about a shared live experience that can’t be felt through the touch screen.   This was Naisbitt’s point.  

We are losing touch.  Our experiences are becoming more and more virtual and consequently our lives more and more isolated. 
There is still time for us to realize that Life is not something that can be stored like a car or a piece of furniture, nor can it be truly experienced by putting our heads in the cloud. 

About three months ago I went to the bank on my bicycle.  I could have done an electronic transfer, but I had decided that this particular transaction required live interaction.
As I rode through the park adjacent to my house, I witnessed the collapse of a woman in obvious distress.  She was barely concious and told me she had a heart problem.  I called 911 on my cell phone and tried to explain to the operator where we were in the park.  I’m not sure why 911 had no GPS to locate me, but there was no time to worry about the shortcomings of virtual directions.  I told him to send the ambulance down the main drag that bordered the park and I would flag them down.  I stayed with the woman until I heard the sirens.  Then I went to the edge of the park and directed the EMTs to their patient.  One could argue that cell phone technology saved this woman’s life.  But I believe the human touch made the REAL difference.