Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

One of the most disturbing--though apparently unintended--outcomes of our new, intensely high-tech environment is what's been called "Internet time and space." Internet time is time compressed to the point where everything needs to happen in seconds or, better yet, yesterday. Internet space is a vast virtual world where it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a moment's respite. Combine the two and you've got the makings of a fine social mess--lives marked by anxiety and guilt of the highest degree.

Then there's the "new economy," a particularly disturbing concept. The term is just a euphemism for gambling. Dabbling in the new economy in Internet time and space is a bit like throwing your money in the air and hoping it comes down. If P.T. Barnum were alive he'd probably say, "There's a sucker born every nanosecond."

If all this isn't enough, we also need to start thinking seriously about the massive scale of our new technological hierarchy. Our networks and the computers connected to them provide us with great advantages, as long as they remain functional. Breakdowns can be very costly, like the infamous AOL dial-in capacity problem or the more recent area-wide, day-or-longer DSL outages that beset Los Angeles and other cities. And how about the crashes that strike corporate networks and deny us access to, and control over, our own investments?

But don't let these downsides get you depressed. Look at them as problems crying out for solutions, and recognize that not all the solutions will be found in more technology. Some of them will require us to look deeply into our social, economic and political structures for answers. I believe a group of people who can build the kind of technological wonders we've seen in the past decade can find ways to eliminate the negative consequences that often accompany unbridled technological growth.

Barry Gerber is a West Coast-based consultant and author; he was intimately involved in the founding of Network Computing. Send your comments on this column to him at BGerber@bgerber.com.