Insada Yolwazi

EKHULWINI lama-20 kuye kwaba nolwazi oluyinsada kunanini ngaphambili. Izwe ligcwele ulwazi, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lutholakala ezincwadini, emsakazweni noma kuthelevishini, kuyi-Internet, noma ngezinye izindlela. Encwadini yakhe ethi Data Smog—Surviving the Information Glut, uDavid Shenk uyabhala: “Ulwazi oluningi luwusongo lwangempela. . . . Manje sibhekene nokusongela kolwazi oluningi ngokweqile.”

Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela elinye iphephandaba elaziwayo. Kuthiwa iphephandaba elivamile laphakathi nesonto i-New York Times liqukethe ulwazi oluningi kunalolo umuntu ovamile ayengaluqongelela konke ukuphila kwakhe emuva ngekhulu le-17 eNgilandi. Kodwa ngaphandle kwamaphephandaba ansuku zonke, omagazini nezincwadi ezinhlobonhlobo eziqukethe izihloko ezihlukahlukene zinezela kulentilibathwa yolwazi olukhishwayo. Kunyatheliswa amashumi ezinkulungwane zezincwadi unyaka ngamunye. Futhi njengoba ulwazi lwesayensi lwanda ngokuphindwe kabili njalo ngemva kweminyaka eyisithupha, akumangalisi ukuthi emhlabeni wonke, amaphephabhuku ezobuchwepheshe ewodwa angaphezu kuka-100 000. Kanti i-Internet yenza abasebenzisa ama-computer bathole amaqoqo amaningi olwazi.

Kuthiwani ngomagazini? Omagazini bezebhizinisi, omagazini babesifazane, omagazini bentsha, omagazini bezemidlalo nezokuzijabulisa—yebo, omagazini abaqukethe cishe zonke izihloko nezinto abantu abanesithakazelo kuzo—baye bagcwala kuwo wonke umhlaba, bonke bedinga ukufundwa. Kuthiwani ngendima yabakhangisi—abachazwa ngokufanele ngokuthi “ababikezeli beze”? Encwadini yakhe ethi Information Anxiety, umlobi uRichard S. Wurman uyaphawula: “Izinhlangano zokukhangisa ziye zahlasela imizwa yethu ngezikhangiso ezihlukahlukene ezifuna ukuba sizibheke, sizilalele, sizizame, futhi sizisebenzise.” Abakhangisi bame kwelokuthi uyawudinga umkhiqizo wamuva, izinto zamuva ezithuthukisiwe, ukuze ungashiywa yisikhathi.

Isazi sokusebenza kwengqondo esiwumcwaningi wezenhlalo wase-Australia uDkt. Hugh MacKay sathi ‘izwe ligcwele ulwazi futhi abantu batshelwa ukuba bazibuthele lolu lwazi oluningi olutholakala ngokushesha kuyi-Internet.’ NgokukaDkt. MacKay, inkinga iwukuthi ukugcwala kwezinhlelo zezindaba nezindaba ezisematheni emsakazweni nakuyithelevishini, kanye nokwanda okukhulu manje kwezimiso zolwazi ezisebenza ngama-computer, kuye kwaveza izwe elinabantu abamukela ulwazi emithonjeni yezindaba ngokuvamile okuwukuvezwa okungaphelele kwamaqiniso nezenzakalo, hhayi iqiniso eliphelele.

Kuyini Ukwaziswa?

Igama lesiLatini eliwumsuka elithi informare (ukwaziswa) liqukethe umqondo wokubumba into, njengoba kwenza umbumbi ngobumba. Ngakho, ezinye izincazelo zelithi “yazisa” ziveza umqondo othi “ukulolonga ingqondo” noma “ukulolonga noma ukufundisa ingqondo.” Abafundi abaningi bazokhumbula ukuthi esikhathini esingeside esidlule ulwazi lwalumane luwuhlu lwamaqiniso noma ukwaziswa okusitshela imininingwane enjengokuthi kwenzekani kuphi, kwenziwa ubani, ukwenza nini, noma ukwenza kanjani. Ayengekho amagama akhethekile achaza ulwazi. Okuwukuphela kwento okwakufanele siyenze kwakuwukuba sikucele noma sizifunele kona thina.

Kodwa ekuqaleni kweminyaka yawo-1990 izwe liye lasungula amagama amaningi kakhulu ahlobene nolwazi kangangokuthi lamagama ewodwa abangela ukudideka. Nakuba amanye alamagama kulula ukuwaqonda, njengathi “infomania [ukushisekela ukwaziswa],” “technophilia [ukuthanda ubuchwepheshe],” nathi “information age [inkathi yolwazi],” amanye angaba inkinga ngempela. Namuhla izwe lihlanyiswa ulwazi—inkolelo yokuthi onolwazi oluningi uyabadlula abanye abangenalo nokuthi ulwazi aluseyona indlela yokufinyelela umgomo othile, kodwa luwumgomo ngokwalo.

Lokhu kuhuheka kukhuthazwa izimiso zokuxhumana eziningi, njengemishini ye-fax, ucingo oluphathwayo, nama-computer, abanye abakubheka njengophawu nomfuziselo wenkathi yolwazi. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukusebenziseka kalula kwama-computer, ukushesha kwawo, namandla awo kuye kwavula indlela yokuthola ulwazi oluningi kunanini ngaphambili—kangangokuthi uNicholas Negroponte, we-Institute of Technology yaseMassachusetts, uthi: “Ukusebenzisa ama-computer akusaphathelene nje nama-computer. Sekuyindlela yokuphila.” Ngenxa yalokho, ulwazi nemishini olutholakala ngayo kuthandwa kakhulu, futhi ngezinye izikhathi kuyadunyiswa, kunabalandeli abaningi abashisekayo emhlabeni wonke. Izindaba zethelevishini nezinhlelo zezindaba ezisematheni kuyangcweliswa, kuyilapho izinto eziningi ezingenamsebenzi zivezwa ezinhlelweni zezingxoxo ze-TV bese zamukelwa umphakathi ongasoli lutho futhi okhohliseka kalula.

Abantu abaningi namuhla bahlushwa “ukukhathazeka ngenxa yolwazi” olunhlobonhlobo ngoba inkathi yolwazi iye yashintsha indlela esiphila futhi sisebenze ngayo. Kusho ukuthini ngempela ukukhathazeka ngenxa yolwazi? Ungabona kanjani ukuthi uyathinteka? Ingabe kukhona ongakwenza ngakho?

[Isithombe ekhasini 3]

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