Reflection and Upgrades

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This week has been fun.  Reading and trying to apply it to my daily work.  When I was reading the Living with New Media section, I began to wonder about the ones that don't fit in to these groups.

 One project I am involved in at school is Mac and iPad Management.  I use a Mobile Device Manager, (Casper Suite) to assist students and faculty with these devices.  We deploy out software and updates on demand, via the Mobile Device Manager.

 There are many kinds of learners out there, and some are not the "messing around" or "geek-out" type.  What about the more apprehensive group, the ones who fear change?

 What I am concerned about is the resistant to move with the times crowd.  The "too scared" to try.  The more cautious, that have to be forced to update software.  The unorganised that never have a backup when their computer fails, or "lost" that assignment.  The ones who get upset by the "new" Facebook.  Mired down in their workflows, wishing Netscape Communicator was still able to run.

 I am moving the network of 1500+ Macbooks to Mavericks.  I've done iOS 7 on the 300 iPads a long time ago..  But in this process, I am constantly asked, "Do I need this upgrade?"

 Now, I love and hate this question.  I think, why would you NOT want to upgrade.  In computers, it's upgrade or die.  The computer is asking you... I have new things I can do for you, can I please do them?  It may take some tinkering to do the new things.  You may need to relearn some things... But they may just get better.

 I love the question because it makes one think that someone needs to question authority.  I have a thing that works right now, if it isn't broke... Don't fix it.  Thinking is involved, sometimes there are reasons.

 I hate the question because it is a refusal to grow, learn, and adapt.  It means that there is something new to geek out on, that they are too afraid to try.  They might loose something, afraid it may mess something up.  Life may just get better than what you had before.

 There are many reasons to ask your school to adopt a new operating system, but in this case, I have too many variants of big cat operating systems at my school.  Lion, Mountain Lion, Panther, Leopard, Tiger...  It becomes impossible to support students in a BYO device environment to do their school work, when they cannot run the same versions of software.  Teachers cannot perform as well in class, if they cannot all work.  If we are all running the same operating system and software, supporting students and teachers becomes much easier. Let me know what you think about upgrades... or just the group who aren't engaged in their technology...

This has been cross-blogged from my COETAIL blog.

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