Now –a –days, there are a lot of discussions around the gap between “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants” (Mark Prensky, http://tinyurl.com/28ggmy).
In a recent CIO.com article, Abbie Lundberg wrote (http://tinyurl.com/6pyhfc) about how this “digital” divide get played in our work environment.
If we extend this “digital” measure beyond Homo Sapiens, to institutions and processes around us , it is interesting to see how far off some of these entities and processes are and how some of these entities trying to catch up with the times even couple decades after the invention of Internet (not by Al Gore, by ARPANET in 1969).
As an example, take the incorporation processes in any state. To begin with, incorporation is a cumbersome, lengthy process itself even with e-filings etc. Maintaining the status of a company is another time-consuming ,daunting task for an entrepreneur who is trying to get the company up and running on a tight budget and time . This is even true for a “digital immigrant” like me. Who has time to think about company filings, minutes, board-meetings and yada yada… when you are trying to grow your customer base or trying to figure out how to stay above the competition.
Finally, one of the states, Vermont is trying to be a pioneer in this arena by allowing the formation of Virtual companies. Inc.com speculates (http://tinyurl.com/567mc8 ) that, “…would allow any private company to register in Vermont without opening a physical office, holding an in-person meeting, or filing a single sheet of paper. Companies could meet these requirements -- which are mandated by most states in order to legally register or open a bank account -- by using e-mail, instant messaging, or other software programs”.
Whether this law gets established or not I am very excited to see Vermont a “Digital Immigrant” trying to look forward and change the status-quo in favor of “Digital Natives”. Currently it is correct to say that decision making power in our society rests with “Digital Immigrants”. Members of “Digital Immigrants” do have a social responsibility to take closer look at the processes and institutions around us and make bold movements like this to prepare the grounds for “Digital Natives” to operate and thrive. Congratulations Vermont in being a leader!!! I hope this is a start and many more to come and without much wait.
You can track the status of this bill by visiting http://tinyurl.com/6btqke
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GigiJK, A Techie for life.
http://gigijk.com/.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gigijk
