Article November 4, 2002 ISSUE

TECHNOLOGY—servant not master

By Phil Davis

TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN a large part of my life. It began as a kid, when I made electronic gadgets just for fun. Later I worked in the military as a missile technician. Afterward I had a career as a recording engineer. Although I'm out of that career now, I still use computers and high-tech devices all the time. In fact, my friends and family know me as the guy with all the tech toys.

So much has been accomplished with computers and electronics. But there are downsides to technology. There are those times when you feel helpless before it. Maybe, like me, you've had your computer freeze on you before saving a document and lost everything. Or you've been unable to transact business at the bank because the computer is down. Perhaps you've been billed for something you've already paid for. I've heard of some who have actually had their identity stolen electronically.