The death of distance

The title of "fastest man in the world" is traditionally held by the reigning Olympic 100-metres champion. The first such record recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was 10.6 seconds set by Donald Lippincott at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. But the world-record time has tumbled since then.

At the 1936 Games in Berlin, Jesse Owens won the 100-metres gold in a blistering 10.3 seconds. These days, we have more advanced equipment, better training and improved nutrition, and the current world record for 100 metres is down to 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt at the 2009 World Athletics Championships.

We are living at a time when everything seems to move faster and faster. Increasing speed has clearly conquered distance. The idea of travelling around the world first arose with technological breakthroughs in the 1870s. A French writer, Jules Verne, wrote a great book of adventure - "Around the World in Eighty Days" - telling the story of Phileas Fogg, who takes a wager to travel around the world in no more than 80 days. Such a voyage would not have been possible before the 1870s. But innovations such as transcontinental railroads and steam engines made this time frame possible. A hundred years later, a commercial jet like the Concorde is able to fly around the world non-stop in less than 50 hours.

With the advent of information technology and the Internet, we can talk to anyone on Earth instantaneously. Any activity that uses electronic devices to handle information or communication can be pursued anywhere or at anytime. The Internet has become the main platform for global reach. It offers people from different countries the opportunity to swap information and ideas. A project can be started by one part of a team in Singapore in the afternoon, continued in Paris in the morning of the same day by other members of the team, and feedback obtained from key customers in New York by the close of the business day. British economist Frances Cairncross has coined the phrase "the death of distance", suggesting that distance may no longer be a limiting factor in our ability to communicate and work.

However, some experts say the "death of distance" declaration may be inaccurate. In fact, they say, distance is not dead. It is the time taken for travelling and communicating that has been reduced to near zero. Some argue that while technology may enable instantaneous communications, it does not determine the quality of the outcome of those communications. Recent riots in London and its surrounding areas are believed to have been orchestrated, organised and fuelled through social networking. Violence was fanned by Twitter as pictures of a burning police car were re-tweeted many times. While the majority appeared to be simply supplying instantaneous news feeds on what was happening in the streets, some tweets might have been a call to arms.

People in poor countries now have immediate access to information that was once restricted only to people in rich countries. The communication revolution is profoundly levelling the imbalance of opportunities between large and small, rich and poor.

Ultimately, the death of distance resulting from the astonishing technological changes of the 21st century will be welcomed and enjoyed. However, if distance is going to cease, we need to ensure that everyone has a good understanding and a respect for the diverse cultures and values of the various members of the human network. If we do not want a similar situation to the London rioting occurring again, our connected and crowded world will require efficient, responsive and responsible communications over the final mile - or whatever is left - of distance.

Nutavoot Pongsiri is a senior executive of a multinational company. Follow his articles in Hi! Managers on every second Friday of the month.