I am fascinated by times when digital realities collide with analog rules and traditions. So much of our culture was built around the realities of the previous century, and as digital tools (or new tools of any kind) give us new abilities, they often bump against laws and tradition built around not having these abilities. Many times these battles are painful, but they are the birth pains of a new world.
I read a story this morning that illustrates this tension perfectly. A man in Georgia parked his Nissan Leaf near an exposed public outlet at a school. While he watched his son play tennis, he plugged his car in to the outlet to “top off the tank” for about 20 minutes. When he returned to his car, he was charged by the local police with theft of public property, in this case electricity. Though the valuation of the electricity used in those 20 minutes is roughly 5¢, the position of the police is “theft is theft,” and the case is currently being contested in court.
The story can be found here: Kaveh Kamooneh Arrested For Charging Electric Car At Chamblee, Georgia Middle Schoola
Hearing this story immediately brought to mind the number of times that I have “stolen” electricity for my iPad and iPhone in airports, restaurants, public halls, and anywhere that I can find an outlet. I’m certainly not alone in this, as I often join the new nomads who camp beside outlets crouched beside their phones and pads like a primitive tribe enjoying the benefits of modern digital technology.
The specifics of this case are odd, making me wonder whether I have all of the story. I don’t know why the man wasn’t simply told not to do this, why he wasn’t charged the offending nickel, why this case is being pursued through a trial that will cost thousands of time the amount of the offense. However, it illustrates clearly the tension between laws that worked in a former reality and new tools. There was never a need to clarify rules about using outlets, since there was no significant need for them.
As I wrote that last sentence, a man sat down next to me in Starbucks and plugged his phone and laptop into the wall outlet. I realize it is not absolutely the same, as there is probably an understanding that those using the restaurant are entitled to use these resources, but I’ll bet this has never been explicitly stated.
In education technology we bump into these situations all the time. The rules, procedures, and expectations we created for students who could do x a retested and strained by students who can do x+y. Like the case of the electric thief, we will have to navigate many choppy seas of spirit vs letter, rules for a purpose vs rules for rules, and new wine fitting into old wineskins. Someday it will be worked out, but probably not during our (at least my 7775 days) lifetime. The best we can do is recognize that these are cases of changing realities and recognize that they are not simple…maybe theft isn’t theft.
As always, I welcome your comments
Image: ‘Ops…’
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31018257@N00/5828415133 Found on flickrcc.net
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