We should introduce categorizations based on different criteria, e.g. "Material which the technology acts upon", "Principle of working", "Functional: human sensory modality concerned with the technology", etc.
(we need some way to cover for example, both the technology of television and the content of television, which are greatly different topics with the same name)
How about a "Mass Media" category? It would also cover radio, printing press, etc.
What is the difference between technology and engineering?
Am I correct in thinking this page places too much emphasis on recent or conspicuous technologoy? Wouldn't the lever, pully, and wheel be considered vital advances in technology? If not, how long do you imagine it will be before the pump and microchip are considered trivial? Why not include irrigation, literacy, geometry, etc.? --KQ
I agree with KQ (above), and further suggest that the references to industry and commerce make this definition too narrow. Technology can be for warfare, for the fighting of disease, for the production of more aesthetically pleasing music, for the more accurate measurement of time so that monks can pray 6 times each day at the proper times, etc.
How about:
(The quote isn't on that URL, but it's from the forthcoming book mentioned on that page.)
"The field of technology applies human knowledge of the physical or natural sciences to accomplish a specific human goal or purpose." You can cut the first "human". The second "human" is important although arguable: If technology invents new technology for its own sake, e.g. just because man has become educated by technology (writing, the school system, mass media) to invent technology, or because negative side effects of technology must be treated by technology whose side effects in turn must be treated ... and again until infinity - then, is that still technology or is it "culture"? Culture (in the word sense of "civilization") is the father of technology but doesn´t define as "to accomplish a specific human goal or purpose" but simply as "the outcome of mankind" (simplified, as I didn´t yet consult Wiki about this).
BTW, why doesn´t someone update wiki/technology according to the proposals which have been made here? Too shy? Grasso
Is it desirable to have so many bulleted items in a list with no text to make them cohere? What are these lists of?
I do not think that the two recording items should appear under acoustics, however I cannot think of a better place or another heading. Any suggestions. In fact recording, live sound reinforcement, and acoustics, though all dealing with sound are all pretty independent, maybe they should all appear as sub-headings to audio.
