The Techno Slide

No, it's not another way to show off your sleek moves on the bridal dance floor. It's what I've come to experience since graduating college.

Thanks to having a systems analyst for a father and a formal education that began in the mid-80s, I was introduced to computers at a young age. Home Internet, e-mail and instant-messaging started popping up during my high-school years and were staples throughout my college career. For coursework, we were required to communicate and learn with such tools, and we used them for keeping in touch with far-away friends and family, too. Then, there was Napster. The music downloading craze began.

This came along right when I first began distancing myself from computers; I was tired of relying on them so much. Dormmates would IM each other instead of walking a few feet across the hall to talk face to face. E-mail messages were misconstrued because tone could not be relayed. And, I spent hour upon hour in front of it for school, internships and work. I used it when I needed it and preferred socializing with real-life humans for entertainment. While I did learn the basics of music downloading, that was probably the last Internet technology with which I tried to become familiar. Thus, the Techno Slide (please see my definition below).

Techno Slide [těk'nō slīd] - n. A digression from the ever-expanding world of technology, whether by choice, circumstance or a combination of both, that results in no or little knowledge of the latest technological tools.

I'm thankful for Library 2.0 because it's an educational opportunity that has helped pull me out from the Techno Slide. What a move! Doo doo doodoo doo doo, doodoo doo doo doodoo doo doo. You've got to feel it. It's so TECHNIC! Shooby dooby dooby...