As corporate structures grew in size they tended to move from Dionysian (individualistic) to having Apollo, the God of order and rules, in control. The net is growing daily at a faster rate of change than anything before it , invisible decisions are made, the size and complexity in the corporate world would call for Apollonian measures yet it is unlikely that these would work in such an uncertain environment. Melanie Reinhart in her article on the Thirteenth Constellation feels that the move away from the orderliness of twelve could herald a period where non rational perception and intuition are more important. We have no time to keep looking backwards, no time for consolidating but must face forward , keep our finger on the button (or the mouse), the rate of change is accelerating so fast we have the danger that the large corporations will move in with Apollonian measures and take up the reigns. Financial criteria will have to be addressed and encapsulated in an acceptable way before all is lost to the large Corporations. Boundaries are already blurred, will we exchange rule by government to rule by large corporations.
The changing boundaries could help keep the net as a positive force for change, can we accept the chaos, we need individuals of immense conceptual span to hold this dream of positive change. No longer can we live by the paradigm that small is beautiful, here we have lost that option , what would happen now if a vital cog were removed. The uncertainty grows.
Even when we look beyond the hype and make an honest appraisal there are many positive aspects for the individual . Life is growth, if we stop growing technically and spiritually we are as good as dead. There has been a lot in the media about becoming a society of information have or have nots. The magazines behave as though it is the domain of the young technocratic male, there is much made of women being 'net phobic', ageism abounds unabated, make room , do not make the Net a hostile place, help where you can. Yes, fear of such youthful male technical superiority can keep people out. The unboundaried nature of the Web needs to extend to a wider circle of people , male and female, young and old, in order to grow in a healthy way. It is easy to be dynamic when one is young.
One interesting aspect of the newsgroups has been the growth of written interchange on experiences and feelings, not something male gatherings have been noted for. The therapeutic aspect of this sharing must be valued , are men finding the more feminine side of their nature. Writing in this issue Clare Crombie shares her experience of the male and female aspects of her nature. Can more women reciprocate by mastering the technology and joining in. I hope so.
What will happen to our physical needs as we sit at our computers, I have read of some enthusiasts losing not only count of the hours but of days. The amount of information available is seductive, relationships are forming in communications without a physical presence. Hyemeyohsts Storm says in 'Lightning Bolt' (to be reviewed in next month's issue) 'People who live only in their brains know only phantom people - not the real people they dwell with in life'. Will we dwell in fantasy instead of life forget the inter-relationship we have with all things. We could become computerised ascetics, we might think we are free of the physical but we would only be suppressing sensory experience. A click clicking isolated world full of goodies for the mind, a grandmotherly word of advice here...... a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.... as they say!
It is not the aim of this magazine to escape into a spiritual world, detached from this one, but to be partners in the working environment, part of the imaginative thinking and discussion required to manage change, striving to keep the best of the older values while moving forward with the new. We are reminded of the wisdom of the Grandmothers in this issue by Carolyn Hillyer's powerful imagery in words and paintings. I feel they have joined with us on this journey. I am a woman and a grandmother, I was a technophobic, yet I made it and now I have the world at my fingertips. However I will not forget to go out and touch the earth, see the stars and smell the sea, I am in relationship with them as well
Alex Campbell.
Ref: Charles Handy 'The Gods of Management' Arrow Business Books ISBN 0-09-954841 -0Ref: Hyemeyohsts Storm 'Lightning Bolt' One World, Ballantyne Books ISBN 0 -345- 36710 -3
Copyright © 1996 The International Communique Ltd