Shawn asks:

> "How is and will
>this new technology effect the way that Health Promotion is done?"  I
>just want to throw this out to you.....I hope others out there find it an
>interesting issue topic to discuss.
>
further...
>- What areas of HP is the Internet likely to be most signficant and also
>for whom?
>- Are there any potential negative effects?
>- Where will it have no impact?
>- Will a lack of skills/knowledge in this area hurt health promoters?
>
My first reaction to these questions is the division they assume between
working in health promotion and working in the electronic workplace. Part of
our work together online or in the literal workplace is to share the
strategies we know work and some of the problems implemeting them (for
example PAR) and to debate our issues (for example - what is 'real' health
promotion). Both of these discussions, rooted in work on the ground, have
been enhanced by the ability to tap into the minds and experiences of many
people around the globe.

Supporting each other to learn to incorporate the use of the electronic
workspace in our work means risking to try new things and understanding the
value of removing the barriers of time and place in working together.

The secondary questions Shawn asks echo sentiments I often hear from people
who are beginning to confront their own issues about making the transition
online. For some it means stepping into the unknown. For others it means
revealing a lack of knowledge in one area when they are considered the
expert in others and this feels risky. Finally accepting the qualities of
the electronic workplace which remove the capacity for control can be both
liberating and intimidating.

Looking back one might never have predicted the introduction of any major
technological innovation - the car, the telephone, tv, electricity for that
matter let alone predicted an area where, with certainty, it would have no
impact. I would caution people to be careful about musing on the areas of
health promotion which will not be impacted by the use of technology. While
agreeing (for now) that one area may not be affected it neither furthers our
understanding of that one area nor does it assume it may not be impacted in
the future.

Having skills which permit health promoters to enrich their access to
information, which allows them to make information broadly accessible and
understandable, and which gives them another venue in which to collaborate
and learn within the discipline and across all disciplines, can only be
beneficial. This in no way implies we need to give  up the other means of
how we work but rather to look at what is now available and to consider how
we might use these venues and tools to enhance our work.

So will a lack of skills in this area hurt? Minimally it would hurt as much
as an inability to use a telephone to do your work. Aquiring the basic
skills to dial in, post, collect information, etc. does require a learning
curve, patience, and the ability to ask questions and get them answered. I
can be as frustrated by my phone system when it is not working as I can by
not having my connection to the internet work. Over and over again I hear
from people who are having problems that they keep trying because the
benefits far outweigh the difficulties. It is the benefits (perceived and
real) which act as the motivation to get through the learning curve.

Looking forward to hearing what others think about these topics.

Liz Rykert
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