Webster's Introduction

Webster put the significance of this “reader” in a nice way. Whether we buy the title “information society” or not, we have to admit this book says something that’s really important to our society and our lives. “…there can be no doubt that the issues matter enormously, both intellectually and practically.”

A question on my mind is: what’s the difference between knowledge society and information society? Is it just a grander notion? Or the inventors of this term really meant something else or something more? Maybe my classmates have read something about it? In LIS field, well, information and knowledge are actually different notions… as Soojin is always saying. 

I totally agree that theories can be very useful tools for us to understand the world. I always feel that we can learn a lot from people who are insightful enough to put things into frameworks, to simplify them, to generate “theories.” Theories provide us with multiple perspectives and potentially useful ways of thinking. They are not only practical but also powerful and enlightening. I’m looking forward to reading more of this book.