Is it a stockbroker? Is it a church warden? NO! It’s IT Repair Man!
I like watching Black Mirror on Netflix every now and then. This sci-fi anthology series explores a twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide. It generates feelings of anxiety suggesting that we are using technologies that may develop into time bombs. Personally, I am actually more concerned about the overall dependency on technology and I guess I’m not the only one.
Risks of modern technology
Don’t tell me your computer has never crashed or that your Wi-Fi is stable at all times. I even bought a new high-end router recently and I am now having other connectivity issues. Even putting on my favorite Netflix series occasionally results in looking at a distorted screen which, ironically enough, emphasizes the risks of digital technology as displayed in Black Mirror. Charging my electric car the other day turned into a disappointment too as the charging unit was temporarily out of order after a pushed software upgrade. As the number of connected electronic devices keeps growing in world of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Lab of the Future, so will the irritation and time needed to fix it all. Maybe even exponentially as the chain of interconnected devices is only as strong as the weakest link.
Premature launches
Don’t get me wrong, I am generally excited about new technology and the things it allows us to achieve. It’s just that in my opinion, a lot of innovations are being launched prematurely for the sake of marketing and sales. As long as products or services haven’t matured yet, we will keep running into technological issues over and over again. Slowing down the pace of innovation could counter this problem significantly. At the same time, it would cause less headaches among IT professionals who now have a hard time deciding which particular technology to embrace or ignore.
We need a hero
Until then, I guess we need a new ‘hero’ to solve our daily IT issues. The iconic comedians of Monty Python would probably come up with ‘IT Repair Man’ in the same brilliant way they once introduced us all to ‘Bicycle Repair Man’. For those of you who haven’t a clue what I am talking about, or in case you can’t get enough of it, we suggest watching the particular scene here. In case you are in a more serious mood, do not hesitate to share your views on this subject with me here.
Petrik Cuijpers