As the Director of Information Technology at Messiah Village, one of my favorite questions to explore with people is, “What is technology?”

I’ve got a few standard answers to this question.  The first one is, “Technology is scary things with buttons.  When people are no longer afraid of something, then it is an office supply.”  Think of things that were amazing 10, 20 or 40 years ago – photocopiers, adding machines, solar calculators, and cordless phones.  Now, these things are commonplace.

Another way to define technology is, “Things that make our lives easier or more productive.”  This could include microwaves, cell phones, and email.  But also, by this definition, I could include one of my favorite office productivity tools, my wall-sized whiteboard.  My whiteboard holds random bits of important information, to-do lists and workflow sketches.  It is a constant multi-color reminder of where my department is heading and the things we need to do to get there.

Do Not Erase!!!

Here at Messiah Village, recent technology innovations include major upgrades to the Chapel audio-visual experience, enhancing communication to our residents, clients, staff and friends through a Facebook presence and through the premiere of our first ever video Christmas greeting.

How does technology affect your daily life?