Sunday, June 1, 2003

Cyber Revolution 2003.6.X First appearance

So,the agenda that how the IT revolution will change society's way of life from now on has arrived intense argument.
Amidst tumultuous intense argument….
Because I'm a chicken,I kept silent and was listening.
Summary of it below.

(1) Destroying middle management positions
IT revolution that compares with even the former industrial revolution.
In America,how to proceed work have changed big.
As a result,About 4 million intermediate managers seems to have became unnecessary.
Middle management positions that had played a role as a pipe between the site and the head office.
It became an unnecessary post due to all employees being able to share information by internal-mail and intranet.
It is conceivable that such movements will accelerate in Japan too.From now on.

(2) Deflation pressure
It seems that global deflation had occurred even in the once industrial revolution by steam engine and spinning machine.
Because the way of transporting by a horse until then changed to the steam locomotive,logistics costs dramatically lowered And Deflationary pressures have been applied.
In addition,people typified by horses lost their jobs,
"We will destroy such a machine"
A phenomenon called a laddite movement occurred.
It was machine-breakdown movement.
Even in the past industrial revolution,at the beginning,
Just by replaced things that had been doing until then to the a steam engine or machine.
It seems that didn't happened easily unexpected new industry like creating jobs.

In the IT revolution too,at currently,
Just only by substituted the role that magazines, newspapers, mini-communication-magazines had at before.
It seems that unexpected new industry have not came out.
Rather,When situation that sooner or later information will flow free on the internet came to coming,this is also deflationary pressure.
Rental video store,map shop,newspaper agency,music software company, movie software company ...... etc.
Many industries are under pressure to change the billing system..
It's still salvation what doesn't happen the laddite movement in the IT revolution.

(3) Changes in people's mentality,democratization of information
In the past industrial revolution,It is said that steam locomotive changed people's mentality and geographical concept of until then.
The steam locomotive made France one country,one culture.
Until then,Despite France has been politically unified,It seems that it was an aggregate of self-contained areas.

The development of technology and infrastructure change people's consciousness.
 If we get on the plane even once,Even if is said that "Angels lives above a cloud" or "There are Gods of lightning strike above the clouds",We will not be able to imagine it.

I think that a change is occurring gradually to people's consciousness in also the IT revolution.
I think like that authority of mass media are becoming weak gradually due to freedom of sending on the internet or the acquisition of borderless information by search engine.
Mass media was called the fourth power just next to judicial, legislative, administrative once.
If it was written that this person is the suspect,on TV or newspaper,Even if he is innocent,He became have to leave the company or relatives became has feeling ashamed. There were many such cases.
Such a composition has collapsed with the development of IT technology.
Even if he is suspected by the mass media,He can do refutation on the Internet,And,We can also do support movement.
And,Compared to the concept of TV viewing ratio,It is becoming to be able to measure people's interests on the form of the number of accesses on the Internet.
It is conceivable that democratization of information is taking place in that respect.

(4) Place-less,Invalidation of administrative guidance and market protection policy
In the once industrial revolution,A large city was formed due to made possible to bring people to work-place.
In the IT revolution,the contrary,It made possible to bring work to place where people are located.
If there are laptop computer and P.H.S.,We can do job regardless of whether at home,at a coffee shop or a travel destination.
And further,Yahoo auctions or Amazon marketplace are good examples,
If there are the personal computer and a line,business will be established towards the world regardless of the living place.
Once,a town's secondhand bookstore could done target only the neighbors.
If competing stores are not nearby,The bookstore also had been able to do price hike.
However,Things of that kind will be impossible due to open a second-hand bookstore on the Internet.
In the past,Location requirement which were important in any business are becoming less important.
If transactions on the Internet spreads to every sale and purchase not limited to books and CDs,The roles of administrative guidance and market protection that the Japanese government after the war had been held will invalidate.
Rather,it is may going to be disturbing.

Above is a summary of hot debate.
There are both negative aspects and positive aspects,
Actually,No one may knows how the IT revolution will change society's way of life in the future.
However,It is a tremendous change should also be called "cyber revolution".
I think that thinking and discussing is not a waste.