Gasoline and Technology Two Things We Cant Live Without
Would it be possible once again to get used to horse carriers delivering our news instead receiving email alerts in our inboxes? I dont think so.
Today we are hungry for information, and we want it in record time. When were gathering information, we no longer walk to the nearest library for books and magazine or newspaper articles. Today we live in the digital world and speak a different language. Our information comes in the form of blogs, podcasts, videos, pdfs, mp3s, wikis and online articles. Treeware, or paper-based material, is only one of many choices, and not necessarily the most popular.
Consider ControlGlobal.com. For years experts have written books, white papers, case studies and manuals describing and documenting automation processes that end up printed and eventually stored in physical libraries that people hardly visit anymore. Now changing times and technological advances pushed us to digitize these documents for easier access.
Engineers today turn to the Web when it comes to learning about processes. Seeing demonstrations on video or in an interactive format is easier and more satisfying than reading page after page of black-and-white text. Thats why we have learned how to surf the web, send emails, blog and post videos to the web.
Controls exclusive video page is an example of how automation professionals have adapted to technology. This page dedicates a section to refresher course materials previously available in books, but now available in video format.
In these videos, called Back to the Basics, Editor in Chief Walt Boyes, visits the basics of automation. We have covered PC-based control, DP flow measurement and level measurement topics. Putmans vice president of content and past editor of Control, Keith Larson, hosts a series of FutureCast videosprognostications on the future of process automation technology.
Technology, like gasoline, is essential to our lives. We dont like paying $4 per gallon of gas, but we do it because we have to. With technology, we might not like learning new programs every other month, or downloading computer upgrades, but we do it because that is what we must do in order to survive in the digital world.
White Papers
What Does an Automation Computer Look Like?
The old white boxes now come in many sizes, shapes and formats.
Virtual Instrumentation for Next-Generation Testing
Learn how virtual instrumentation can be an innovative solution.
Kestrel Coal Reduces Alarms by 97%
This case study examines the plan, execution and results of Kestrel Coals work with Matrikons Alarm Manager.
Download PDFs of these white papers at ControlGlobal.com/whitepapers.
Special to the Web
Asish Ghosh on Process Safety
In this Control/ARC podcast, Walt Boyes and ARCs Asish Ghosh talk about process safety and why it seems so hard to accomplish.
Control FutureCast: Networking
Keith Larson, Putman Media vice president of content and long-time editor of Control, reviews where the latest networking technology will take us.