Unions and Technology

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Unions and Technology
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Computers in Society

• 1950 2 computers
• 2003 millions
• 2020 billions

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Computer Communication Tendencies
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Computer Communication Tendencies

• Decentralization
• Customization
• Linkages made fragile and temporary
• Hardware translated to software
• everything is connected
• A new biological metaphor

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Computer Communication Effects
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Computer Communication Effects

• De-industrialization
• Globalization
• Virtual Companies
• Dynamic Employer-Worker Arrangements
• Contracting-out

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Computer Communication Effects

• Workplace
• Education

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Computer Communication Effects

• The Imaginary Workplace
• A workplace of unlimited resources
• based on creativity
• which can produce full employment
• and is predicated on democracy in the workplace.

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Computer Communication Effects

• Education in the Imaginary Workplace
• workers become Learners
• life-long training and education
• computer-based distance education
• more private educational activity than public

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Predicting Technologies
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Predicting Technologies

• Entertainment and toy industry
• Corporate existence
• Democratic communities
• The Internet
• Linux

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Predicting Technologies

• A period of rapid change
• The 90s Gold Rush
• Fast change means societies are easily deflected
• Same arguments for laissez-faire capitalism
• We have to learn how to confront change

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Predicting Technologies

• The technologies which exists today
  
  are hazy prototypes
  of what will
  appear tomorrow.

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The Internet will disappear.
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Speaking of the Internet in 2003 is
like speaking about the Electricity in 1903.
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The Internet

• The Internet is an enabling, multi-purpose
  technology.
• This means many more technologies are headed our
  way.

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The Internet

• The book enabled
• Literacy
• Grammar
• The Reformation
• National borders
• Capital markets
• The Industrial Revolution
• Unions

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The Internet

• Electricity spawned
• Telegraph
• Light bulb
• Telephone
• Movies
• Radio
• TV

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What will the Internet bring?
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We are not building the Internet.
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We are buildinga new Electronic Society.
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Will unions be part of this New Electronic
Society?
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Will unions be part of this New Electronic
Society?Yes. If they participate in the design
of new technologies.
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The Internet CourseReader

• An educational computer communications program
• Designed by unionists for group work
• Helps solves problems due to
• High Internet costs
• Undependable electricity
• Expensive telephone connections

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The Internet CourseReader
Internet
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The Internet CourseReader
Internet
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The Internet CourseReader
Internet
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The Internet CourseReader
Internet
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The Internet CourseReader
Internet
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The Internet CourseReader
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The Internet CourseReader
Internet
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Union Web Sites
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The Internet CourseReader

• Developed as Open Source Software
• Free of charge
• Source Code available for programmers
• Translatable
• Freely distributable
• Foundation of an international
  union-owned, union-designed
  educational
  computer communications network

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Union Web Sites
Internet
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Union Web Sites
Internet
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Union Web Sites

• Web Page Creation Software
• Mozilla
• Open source free software
• Available in Belarusion, Bulgarian, Czech,
  Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian,
  Sorbian, Slovak, Slovenian, and Ukranian.

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What is YOUR Project?
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