This is the lessons I got from the paper read in class
today: Tool or toy? Virtual globes in
landscape planning by various authors. This article can be read in full at http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/pluginfile.php/604346/mod_resource/content/2/futureinternet-03-00204.pdf
The article itself is
interesting and worth a read.
Technology is rapidly expanding and continuing to evolve.
Whilst it has the capacity to be an incredibly good tool for planners (and most
professions in general) it can severely hinder progress. Why? The single
biggest problem is… Misinterpretation. This can be in the analysis of the data
set or the use of the particular technology to manipulate such data. As a
planner in an ever complex world we too much continue to use different tools of
the trade but how do we stop this misinterpretation from happening?
To be more specific with my argument I am talking about
tools that follow on from GIS (Global information systems) in which are
accessed via the web which are interactive tools with many sets of data
attached into them. These can be great to communicate work with the public, due
to the simple reason they can be easy to read and people would rather look at
these rather then read 10 pages of work . I included an abstract from the
article which sums up the limits of this technology…
I think this shows how misinterpretation happens and how
planners must ensure that they educate stakeholders on what they are “seeing” .The
way planners can use this tool to stop misinterpretation is using the tool as
one that creates awareness in the community of issue in which is followed up
through the planning process. Part of this process is the interaction of the
planners and the public to ensure any faults of misinterpretations of
technology are limited. Therefore misinterpretation of technology through face
to face contact can be minimised.
Technology: Friend or
Foe? Friend only if we as planners use it correctly.
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