Informational Imperatives and Socially Mediated Relationships

Abstract

Rational economic arguments focused on achieving efficient and productive IT use often guide discussions about technological infrastructure expansion. I characterize those compelling rational arguments as ''informational imperatives,'' and I show that they generate unrealistic expectations based on assumptions about information resource use that do not reflect practice. My ''informational contexts'' acknowledge that people value information and information resources based, in part, on the way they relate to the social world in which they live and work. If we base our expectations about information use on actual practice, would that reduce the potential economic benefit of expanding a national information infrastructure? I examine the social and organizational processes that direct IT use, and conclude that economic potential will remain high even if we alter information infrastructure policies to acknowledge and accommodate those processes that enhance expertise and foster socially mediated relationships.