Sometime in the future, historians will look back on what we think of as the Age of Technology and wonder how we survived. Yes, digital technology can do more than anyone would have imagined when I went to college in the 1970s, just before the earliest days of the World Wide Web. The problem is that computer software, hardware, and shiny packaging don’t quite match up with our human software, hardware, and elastic but fragile skin.

We are still in the early days of integrating this cool stuff into our lives. It is similar to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The “dark satanic mills” revolutionized production and generated huge amounts of wealth, but they were not designed for the men, women, and children who toiled in them.

Nowadays we reap huge benefits from digital technology in both productivity and creativity in practically every field; no one disputes that. We can acquire and process data at frightening rates, and armies of microchips run our appliances, our vehicles, our offices, our entertainment devices—even the fitness machines at the gym. We connect electronically in more ways than we could have imagined even a few years back. Facebook and YouTube surge, while innocuous Google, both spider and web, lurks quietly in the background.

But there are drawbacks. One is that because we can do more, we try to do too much. The micro-tasks build up until our short-term memory fills up, and then it’s “so long” to efficiency, productivity, and—most of all—creativity. We notice how easy it is to get double or triple booked, while the technology we have come to depend on tends to glitch.

Recently, I attended the annual dinner of the Information Technology Industry Alliance of Nova Scotia at Dalhousie’s University Club in Halifax. On the way to the bar I spoke to Malcolm Fraser, the long-serving chair and president, and mentioned that with my tight schedule I might miss some of the talk by Ken Rutkowski, a very connected guy in the media, entertainment, and technology (MET) sector (the man has national governments as clients). Ever obliging, Malcolm said he would try to get a digital file of the presentation for me.

The conversation at my table was intense, with people from the provincial government, small business, the media, and academia. Out of this microcosm popped two of the central themes of our age: Every player big and small in every sector has to find and master the right technology, whatever that may be. At the same time, you must scan the horizon for the “new, new thing” that may make your

fortune, or make you obsolete. No wonder most people have a stiff neck and suffer at least a mild case of anxiety. No wonder most people have a stiff neck and suffer at least a mild case of anxiety.

Scale is always an issue, for good or ill. As I learned at dinner, one gifted programmer with a competent team can allow a small company to thrive in the same space as much larger competitors. Conversely, large programs can confound small outfits if they are not ready for them. However, the speaker was late starting, and I had to bolt. Passing my low-tech notebook to a colleague, I made for the door. I received his notes later in the evening, at venue No. 2. Rutkowski had Skyped some big players live, and got through to a few. One of his insights: “The customer is the advertiser.” People in publishing can appreciate that. Another: “Social networking leads to psychographic profiling.” The software you use may be using you. By the way, did you know that the average person gets photographed 14 times a day?

The next event also had a technology hook: the launch of East Coast Connected, an attempt “to combat the brain drain with brain circulation” between Atlantic Canada and Toronto, with simultaneous launches in Halifax and TO. Supported by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Aliant, and Moosehead, the organization will “facilitate global networking, mentoring, and inter-provincial engagement programs,“ according to Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne.

April MacLeod of Dalhousie’s School of Business Career Services made the opening remarks. She is an uber-organizer of events around town—a “low-tech” skill that remains of primal importance. Speaking from Toronto via video, ECC president Chris Crowell said, “We share a vision that Atlantic Canada should be celebrated. We’re creating communities linking business, policy, academic, and cultural leaders in this region and Toronto.” Greg Byrne, the minister of Business New Brunswick, said this was a good way to showcase local businesses. Dan MacDonald, the head of InNOVAcorp, spoke in Halifax on behalf of the Premier of Nova Scotia, who was ill.

There were a few technical glitches, but everyone got the idea. There was a bar. The Sons of Maxwell played in Halifax and were broadcast to Toronto. People stayed and schmoozed. Atlantic Canadians know how to network, although somehow that is too fancy a word for what we do. Throw in some technology. Connect with another city. It’s all good.