Digital Paradox: why place matters, putting place in its place Luis Borges Gouveia @lbgouveia Switch Conference 16th May of 2010 Polo II, University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal

1. Digital Paradox: why place matters, putting place in its place! Coimbra 16th Mayof 2010 Polo II Universityof Coimbra Luis Borges Gouveia luis.borges.gouveia@gmail.com Twitter: @lbgouveia Associate Professor University Fernando Pessoa

2. @ 16 May 2010 Paradox: why place matters, putting place in its place! Digital Paradox: whyplacematters: puttingplaceinitsplace! ConsideringtheKnowledgeandInformationSocietyandthegrowingpressuresthatbothglobalizationandthe financial & economic crises make emerge, newformsoforganizingandthinkinghumanactivity are needed. Thisisthecontext to presentthe digital paradox as a perspective onhow to assistthe social andeconomicdevelopmentof a territory. Paradoxo Digital: a importância do local no seu sítio! No quadro da Sociedade da Informação e do Conhecimento e das pressões associadas com a Globalização e mais recentemente com a crise financeira e económica, novas formas de pensar e organizar a actividade humana são necessárias. É este o contexto de partida para a apresentação do paradoxo digital e de como essa perspectiva pode ajudar ao desenvolvimento económico e social de um território.

3. We are at war!

4. Well... Itisan informationwar

5. Well... Itisan informationwar its FAST very TECH ... and GLOBAL

6. Weneednewtools!! e.g. Dealwithinformationoverload Check for informationquality Support (action) knowledge

7. Weneednewtools!! e.g. Butwealsoneed some sortofstrategy Dealwithinformationoverload Check for informationquality Supportactionknowledge

8. Sincethis Werelyourhopesonthat...

9. Everythinggoes digital anytime, anywhere, anyhow, any*$#!

10. mayweneedanother perspective? 

11. Letsputit as... a story!

12. For centuries, we human beings live in a world where physical locations are common and stable references Our main references of time and space put us many challenges but were part of us as human beings!

13. Same time & same space: We! Same time & different space: There! Different time & different space: Them! Different time & same space: Place!

14. Place is a very important notion for us It is were human activity takes place… (or is located…) It is central for live, learning, work and fun… (be there!)

15. YES, BUT… With computers and networks come the digital and things change Time and space are not the same…

16. Digital T&S: more independent You can twist time or space even without any relation between them (try some form of video recording or co-location devices to turn it possible)

17. Digital T&S; Elastic What you can do is a lot more and provides some control behavior of how time and space work (for instance, we can get more time using a globalization approach to business or providing digital multimedia to transform a place)

18. Digital T&S: But… be aware! Time: more time to do, less time to react Space: almost impossible to control, easy to reach

19. Digital T&S: No more just four alternatives! Different times & spaces possible We can have digital overlays and they can be present in different ways … although we still are physical beings (and must pay the price!)

20. As a result: Place gets larger and the world suddenly becomes our place We no longer have borders at human scale!

21. Reinventtime & space We can be in more spaces at more times We can not be where we are or be at another time

22. Human limits apply!(example: digital time obeys a different cycle from human life span)

23. SO… the world is different …and there will NOT be anymore the same again – shame on physical place…

24. DIGITAL PARADOX

25. That… Although the widespread of the digital has not been so great The importance of physical place still is central for human activity

26. This Can have economic importance!

27. YES places have now more components and the digital is part of any place

28. BUT Well, I love a lot computers but love more life & people

30. a million dollar question! How can we turn our territory one that is central for human activity? Interested? Join research activity by contacting lmbg@ufp.edu.pt (consideralsofundingit)

31. Weneedtools to supportplaceorientedcollaboration (notindividuals...)

32. Weneedtoolsthatsupportguidenceandvisualsviewsofcomplexscenarios (not more data, orevenworse, finishedanswers...)

33. Weneedtoolsthatturnhumansfreeofdata-information-knowledgetirany (nottheonesthatprovideeven more load...)

34. Soweneed to workonhow to makethingshappennearourplaceinourtime

35. THANKS @lbgouveia

36. Luis Borges Gouveia born in 1966 in Oporto, Portugal. He has a PhD from University of Lancaster (2002, UK) in Computer Science and a Master Degree in Electronic and Computers Engineering from FEUP, Portugal (1995). He currently is an Associate Professor at Science and Technology Faculty, University Fernando Pessoa, where he works since 1995. He also belongs to the north board of the Portuguese association for the Promotion of the Information Society (APDSI). He authored 10 books and has around three hundred papers in journals, conferences and scientific events related with its research interests: e-learning and e-government and the issues of time and space impact given by computers, networks and the digital on people and organizations. Luis has being involved with conception and executive responsibilities in a number of projects as the UFP Virtual University Project, deployment a Sakai installation (2004-2008); Gaia Global, the Digital Cities initiative of Vila Nova de Gaia, a city with 280000 inhabitants (2001-2004); the deployment of the New Boston Select office in Oporto (1998-2001) and the Laptop for all (students and teachers) initiative at University Fernando Pessoa (1995-1998). Join research activity by contacting lmbg@ufp.edu.pt(consideralsofundingit…)