Last week, while sitting in a conference session, the speaker mistakenly said technolog-me instead of technology. I thought it was an interesting blunder given that the discussion was about recruiting technology and the session immediately to follow was titled Nothing to Fear - in reference to facing down what scares us as recruiters about technology. I have stared down technology for the last several years. I came to this biz knowing not very much about computers, about the internet, about software, hardware - you name it. The dive in has been scary but also a thrilling ride.

I remember, specifically, learning how to attach a document to an email. I practiced several times, I didn't want to forget how. That is all it took - I was hooked. I knew then that my life would forever be changed by the world wide web, even though I didn't know a thing - yet. I started a family website using a template, where we could share stories and exchange pictures. I had a terrible time engaging my family. This was pre-myspace, pre-facebook. They felt it was too time consuming for it to be of much worth. It soon fell by the wayside and dried up like a dead tulip.

I tried to lead discussions with other women about where technology was taking us - in PTA, at my college. I was on a Board at a local theater seven or eight years ago. I recorded and distributed the notes/minutes from our monthly meetings. I remember the first time I brought a lap top to the meeting to directly type the notes into a word doc instead of spending hours later transcribing my handwritten scribble. I received a few funny looks until I forwarded the minutes to the entire board immediately following the meeting. Then my logic was made clear.

I sat in a marketing class, clearly ticked off that NO time was being devoted to eMarketing. I could not understand a private university not investing the time or my tuition dollars on what we needed to know today, not practices from twenty years ago when the professor had been a marketing director for Proctor & Gamble. See? Even universities fear and drag their feet. I even went to the Dean to raise a formal complaint. I was there for a business education, not a history lesson.

Teach me, I begged. I have learned that I can Google anything I want on Bing (that's a joke.) You can find any lesson on YouTube; my daughter has learned how to play the piano by watching YouTube how-to videos. My son has mastered levels on xbox live by connecting with other gamers that gladly share tricks live through web-based games. We can choose to deny the impact of in-the-air software or the changes to business that new media has brought about, but really, what would be the purpose? This isn't a fad, it isn't going away. Business will not go back to the way it was last year, let alone ten years ago. Business will continue to evolve right on the heels of technology. So I say bring it on and Techknowledge-Me!