“What Kind of Tech User Are You?”

Pew Internet and American Life Project currently has a survey available that seeks to enable people to determine what kind of tech user they are.  I just finished taking the survey and was identified as a “Digital Collaborator,” which Pew defines as:

If you are a Digital Collaborator, you use information technology to work with and share your creations with others. You are enthusiastic about how ICTs help you connect with others and confident in your ability to manage digital devices and information. For you, the digital commons can be a camp, a lab, or a theater group – places to gather with others to develop something new.

It came as no surprise to me that my reliance on mobile technology scored quite low in the survey, as did my use of the television. I have both a mobile and an iPod, but neither is something I depend upon as a core tool.

Not surprisingly the iPhone just isn’t something I’m the slighest bit interested in acquiring. By far I prefer to work online with the aid of a computer or laptop. I find mobile browsing to be an extraordinarily tedious experience. Using them to compose blog posts and emails is even worse – this goes for my iPod Touch as well, which is used almost exclusively for entertainment purposes.

The TV has largely been replaced by online video viewing on sites like YouTube and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s impressive iView, and print-based newspapers with free online publications – some tradional media sources like CNN.com, the BBC, SMH and digital academic publications; but largely blogs and other participatory media sources.

Given my envolvement with emerging technology I find paper-based publications are much to slow in covering trends; blogs and wikis are where most of the breaking trends appear.

Cricket and Rugby League matches are the only real television viewing I do anymore – and even the NRL has matches available online these days.

As such I responded that I would have little difficulty going without television and mobile.

I regularly misplace my phone, or forget to charge it, and can go literally days without making a phone call – either via a land line or mobile. I occassionally send text messages, but this too is infrequent and not an activity that I depend upon in any substantial way.

With the iPod, the only reason I have one is it was loaned out to me by work – and not even something I asked to acquire. Certainly the opportunity to pass the hours spent commuting with some music is a welcome one, but again it’s not a must have.

By far my greatest use if technology is from web based sites and applications that enable me to connect and interact with others from my desk at home or at work.

To a far lesser degree this includes my laptop as well, which I use primarily to read and respond to emails enroute to work, or to compose blog posts. But in both cases my lack of mobile broadband makes this us an offline activity. Generally speaking access to a web connection and standard size computer is of core significance to me and my work.

I’d be interested in hearing what other people get.

The survey is available here: “What Kind of Tech User Are You“