Vance's
CALL resources page | esl_home index
Return to Papyrus News Archive Main Page
*******************************************************************
June 8, 2000: This message was distributed by Papyrus News, a free e-mail distribution list on the global impact of information technology on language, literacy, and education. Feel free to forward this message to others, preferably with this introduction. For information on Papyrus News, including how to (un)subscribe or access archives, see <http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/web/faculty/markw/papyrus-news.html>.
*******************************************************************
Subject: Concerning Disruptive Technologies
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 12:49:35 +0900
From: Steve McCarty steve_mc@kagawa-jc.ac.jp
Organization: Kagawa JC, Japan; World Association for Online Education
I don't know, but I'm dubious about articles like the one at <http://www.compaq.com/rcfoc/20000529.html#_Toc483752489>
which hype the wireless Internet access here in Japan via iMode phones and so forth. From what I've heard, they access
about 7,000 Websites -- in Japanese and selected for them. Commercials are also
planned. So it could easily develop into something like Japanese TV, almost all
in Japanese and controlled by economic interests in Tokyo. The Internet can be used for Intranets and
other closed systems. 7,000 sites are not the open World Wide Web. We could try to program our Japanese
language Websites also in the compact html for tiny screens, but how will users
in Japan arrive at them? Not likely through English sources like the Japan WWW
Virtual Library or the Japan Window. Even our sites listed with Yahoo! Japan
among a multitude of others may not necessarily be found or among the chosen
ones. Even now it is difficult to reach Japanese readers through the Net, and dotcoms
from abroad are liable to have a harder time than expected. Now one quite possible scenario is that
journalists and wannabes now hyping this wireless trend will be crying
protectionism in a year or two. I hope I'm wrong, but in the wrong hands these
could be disruptive technologies indeed.
Collegially,
Steve McCarty
Professor, Kagawa Junior College, Japan
President, World Association for Online Education: http://waoe.org/
WAOE Website in Japanese: http://www.sabotenweb.com/waoe/
Japanese Home Page: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/
Website Map in English: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve/
Use your browser's BACK button to return to a previous page
For comments, suggestions, or further information on this site, contact Vance Stevens, webmaster. Regarding content of Papyrus-News, contact Mark Warschauer.