Reading Note

Technological Innovations

Without doubt, computers have changed the way that nations interact with each other in a global society. One type of communication that has been greatly affected by the computer is international mail. For example, prior to the widespread use of computers, a letters from the United States to my country amount of money would buy groceries for a family for one week. Now mail can be delivered instantly at virtually no cost by electronic mail.

Another way that computers have affected international communication is in the way that people assemble in meetings and conferences. Before the introduction of computer technology, it was necessary to fly into a central location to conduct business or training. The time involved in travel was often ten times that of the actual meeting time. Now, through the miracle of teleconferencing, participants from many nations can meet in local sites and connect by means of satellite to a central conference facility. They can see each other on large screens and interact with each other from multiple sites around the world. After the initial investment in the equipment, a company can expect to save money because the travel budget can be adjusted down.

Finally, computers have influenced the language of communication around the world. Although English was a popular foreign language prior to the advent of the Internet, it is even more useful now. The computer keyboards in Roman letters are more efficient and, at least initially, the flood of information onto the “information highway” was often in the English language. To be connected in a global society increasingly means knowing English as a second language.

Computers have changed the way that nations interact with each other to send international mail, to attend world meetings and conferences, and to connect to the Internet. They have made it cheaper and easier to exchange information