Welcome to the digital revolution, where we crunch numbers, process information and mine data. Maybe we don't get grease under our fingernails, but one wonders how far we've progressed beyond the industrial revolution. Though the metallic cling-clang of factories is rare, isn't there something familiar about the whir of copy machines, the churn of CPUs and the click-clack of fingers typing?
There is still something mechanical about our shiny new information technology -- not just the moving parts, but how we handle information. We've automated the process (and we've also got the inevitable "data smog"). What is often missing in our new algorithms is knowledge: You know, that thing that involves exploration, reflection, meditation, sharing, all that good stuff. Knowledge can be commodified, but not as easily as raw data. Technology can enhance the transfer of knowledge, but it's not merely a matter of downloading.
Next to the processed meat of information, knowledge is organic matter. When learning a language or a new skill, dictionaries, manuals and textbooks can be helpful, but true fluency -- the ability to use basic information (pronunciation, grammar, syntax) effectively -- comes from practice, feedback, interaction, etc. It's a more complex process (one that the Education Ministry is finally coming to grips with).