In the Industrial Age we lived with an economy based upon atoms.  In the Information Age we created an economy based upon bits.  The zeros and ones in the title of this column of course represent the digits upon which the Information Age is based.

On 01/01/10 I wrote a column naming the decade 2010-2020 the Transformation Decade, explaining the term and what will come to pass in this decade.  As regular readers know I believe we have left the Information Age and entered the Shift Age, hence the title of my book “The Shift Age”.  Since January first of this year I have been speaking about the reality that 2010-2020 will be the first full decade of the Shift Age and that the first two years of this decade are “digital” years.  What I mean by that is that the regular six digit writing of dates in the two years 2010 and 2011 has a number of zero and one dates.  This of course is true whether you use the American month first protocol or the European day first protocol.  October tenth is 10/10/10 either way, as is 11/11/11.

The last time there were two such digital years was ten years ago and then a hundred years before that.  Now I am not a numerologist but I do think there is something to this in the sense that we have two digital years in a row as the transit between the Information and Shift Ages.  Of course these two years precede 2012 which is full of portent relative to the Mayan Prophesy and the Age of Aquarius. [ 2012 will be one of the most disruptive and transformative years of our lives, but that is for future columns]..  Simply put, these two digital years seem to be appropriate relative to the inflection point of history through which we are passing.

The Information Age is now some 35 years on.  These 35 years have brought unbelievable, almost incomprehensible change to all our lives.  This has been the time when physicality was removed from product, when most forms of content developed non-physical forms.  One of the first things that lost its’ physicality was money due to electronic fund transfers.  How many of us would accept that money would become non-physical in 1975?  How many of us accept its digital nature today?  How many of us thought 30 years ago that we would be carrying hundreds of “albums” in our pocket, ever ready for listening.  How many of us thought we would be carrying a library of books in our briefcase or purse:  Bits not atoms.  Digits not vinyl or paper

The digital years of 2010 and 2011 – at least in the abbreviated six digit fashion we use – seem to be an appropriate, significant threshold to the coming wonders of the Shift Age and the Transformation Decade.

5 Responses to “01/01/10-10/10/10-11/10/10-11/11/10 01/01/11-10/10/11- 11/10/11 – 11/11/11”

  1. LoRayne Logan Says:

    I’m particularly interested in your thoughts about 2012 and am eager to know more about your thinking that it “will be particularly disruptive”. When will you write more about that or is a way to access your perspective now? Thank you.

  2. david Says:

    I will start writing about 2012 in 2011. Basically 2012 will be one of the most disruptive years in our life time. The reason is that the forces that want to hold onto a long gone vision of 20th century will try to hold on while others who see that this is a new century will strive to move forward. The latter forces will win, but it will be disruptive.

    David

  3. Jonathan Says:

    David:

    This process has been going on for a while. The US now looks like a world of conservatives, who want to return to the 20th century – if not the 19th century – well represented by the Tea Party and big oil companies, opposed by progressives, who want to move ahead with taking advantage of the opportunities to be gained by solving 21st century problems.

    The question to me from a climate/energy point of view is: how long will the US wait before choosing to compete head on with China, Europe and others in markets for clean energy? I believe that we are no longer the largest polluter. That (dubious) honor now goes to China. However, if we do not turn around soon, we might one day again become the largest polluter.

  4. Tammy Says:

    Hi David. Just found you through a Google search. There is something going around on Facebook where it states this year there is 1/11/11 and 11/11/11. Add the last two digits of your birth year to the age you WILL be. Does it equal 111? Mine does (64+47 = 111). It has everone on FB stirred up as to how this could happen. It works for everyone I know, including my son, who was born in 90 and will be 21 this year. Any suggestions as to why this is????? Thanks so much!

  5. Sven Says:

    Interesting writing, and some new information that i did not know before about the two digital years as you call then, or as they might also be called, golden years, coming form the expression of someones golden birthday where the age that they are turning is the same as the day of their birthday. — I basically agree with you about what will be coming in 2012, though I think that we will be looking a more then one year of difficult times, it is the birthing process of a new consciousness, and a new age of humanity and there will be allot of shifts that have to happen within and without us. bravo I have enjoyed this read. thank you