Is it possible that one of the biggest problems with IT is simply the word we choose? We tend to use the “tools” and “technologies” interchangeably. But technology is a very general label. Tools is not just more specific, but very personal.
It feels a little funny to think about it this way. But there's no doubt that we have favorite tools. And you can extend tools to software and infrastructures, interfaces and access. I suspect that if knowledge workers see themselves as using technology, then something is wrong. Think about the most effective knowledge sharing machines yet devised, the water cooler and the coffee machine. Nobody thinks of the coffee machine as technology—not even those computerized espresso machines that automatically grind, brew, cream and clean perfect cups at the push of a single button.
Coming up with tools to substiture for the coffee machine and water cooler will be a challenge given todays distributed wworkforce.
