I would like to future proof myself. I don't want to learn all the technologies that there are or likely to be. I don't think anyone could. I don't want to prepare for the possible future that Tom Gauld has depicted below. I was reading a blog post by Meredith Farkas, and I personally think that she has the right idea. It is not so much about having explicit technical skills as it is having the ability to learn those skills, if necessary, and learn and develop new skills (as technology is constantly changing).
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| Artist Tom Gauld takes a look at what (possibly) a library might look like in the future - http://www.theorange.co/the-library-of-the-future/ |
Farkas sets out that being comfortable with an online medium and being able to troubleshoot new technologies are basic technical competencies. I believe these competencies are very important. When I am trying to teach one of my colleagues or customers, the main thing I try to impress on people is that it is hard to break something, or ruin something completely. I have found this is true with most modern technology, though I do remember the time as a child I pressed the reset button on my dad’s computer and it wiped everything. I don’t think I have ever managed to do this with modern technology. The most you will usually have to do is undo (so press Ctrl Z), or start again. This is why I also drill into people the habit of saving regularly through the process, so you can go back the to level you have previously achieved (like in a computer game).
I think you need a basic understanding of technology in general, but the main thing is the ability to problem solve, or troubleshoot, and to be able to self teach and work through a new technology through trial and error. This is how I learned HTML (well, the basics), and a few more complex things. Whenever I want to do something, or something is broken, it is usually a chance for me to use Google and/or watch YouTube videos starting with the words "How to" or "How do you." There is an expert for everything, you just have to find where they have written about it.
In this blog, I will attempt to learn some new technical skills, and write a reflective journal to consolidate and reflect on what I have learned.
