A Public View?

For my last source, I decided to find out what the public as a whole believes technology to be, and what better place to find a public point of view than wikipedia. Wikipedia gives a very large selection of definitions for technology, perhaps from the differing opinions that have influenced it. According to wikipedia, “technology is a broad concept that deals with a species usage and knowledge of tools and crafts.” It is a “consequence of science and engineering”, although technology predates both of these things. Wikipedia states that technology started with “the conversion of natural resources into simple tools.” It says that technology can be “broadly defined as the entities, both material and immaterial, created by the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value.” As an engineer, I like this definition that is proposed: “technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems.” I am going to be trying to efficiently solve real world problems for the rest of my life, so that fits me very well. I will be creating technology. The only thing is I cannot just say I like this one and stick with it, and I cannot just look at this wiki for a definition, no matter how broad it may be. I do however like this broad idea of technology that is presented. That it is something that deals with science and math, something that benefits society, something that comes from natural resources. I think that technology is something created by the application of effort. I think that all of these definitions are correct, but maybe just re-worded of themselves. How, though, does this affect what I have already discovered. What about fire? Is it now technology? I have not come across anything or anyone that says technology ceases to be technology once it is outdated. Perhaps that was a preconceived notion that I unknowingly entertained coming into this project. Perhaps fire and the wheel are still technology, no matter how old they are. They got us where we are today (and we still use them). I am going to move away from this position that things were technology to the position that they are, no matter the age. War veterans don’t loose their titles once they get old, they earn their title through what they did. Technology shouldn't cease to be once it is old. It should be praised for getting us where we are today. Perhaps the term’s common meaning should be changed, so that “new technology” refers to what most people today call technology.