As I use, for the first time, the GoGo Internet access on my Delta flight to a conference, three things came to mind:
First, it is now truly possible to never be “offline”, as the airplane was one of the last places where connectivity was unavailable – until now. I don’t know if I like this.
Second, I am amazed at the technology that has empowered such a thing to happen. As I mentioned in a recent post, the future has arrived, it’s just not the one we are expecting.
Finally, I wonder what this will mean to our society. I see two extremes that have formed over the years – one, the Tim Ferris “Four-hour work week” attitude, and its player on the other side, the “fifty-plus work week.” One side aims for delegation and efficiency, the other targets achievement and ambition. With ubiquitous Internet, both will benefit… But the later group will feel even more compeled to keep working, even during “downtime” like an air flight.
I tend to try to be more like the first group, but more often then not I fall, unthinkingly, into the second… Like now, as I’m blogging, instead of relaxing…