Net is more than a global network
When it comes to the one thing depicting the present-day world as we know it, it has to be the Internet.
The Internet now appears to be more than a global computer network. Through the Internet, humanity has really learned about how powerful technology can be, and how important it is for one to be technology savvy.
The state-of-the-art technology may not eliminate poverty in developing countries, but it is bound to be more than a blessing in improving our lifestyles.
Some have even said that it is not premature to talk about living a life with the Internet alone and being deliberately independent of the outside world.
An American has led his life that way for 90 days, and 'it simply feels great', according to him.
There are three paramount aspects of life: entertainment, communication and shopping.
Entertainment is all about having fun. Just surf on any homepage on the World Wide Web, and a world of entertainment is just at your fingertips! If you are a fan of computer games, the Internet has it all! And if you are a music lover like me, you can just feel free to download all songs available on earth in the MP3 format, whose quality is close to that of CDs.
The Net may even allow people to get more personal, thanks to the convenience of communication it brings to the world. No hype.
Newfound technologies like ICQ, Internet phone, video conferencing and broadband Internet access, make it possible for people to communicate, in ways unimaginable till now.
Finally, we come to shopping. A new concept we have to learn is e-commerce. It means electronic commerce, and it is through e-commerce that on- line shopping is made possible.
If you are searching for a book, surf without hesitation on the site amazon.com, and you can find the correct book that you want to have, with just a few clicks.
Just get your credit card handy, and in a few weeks' (or even days') time, receive the merchandise you have purchased.
This seems to work out fine thus far. But a problem with on- line shopping is that of security.
There may be some insincere, unscrupulous hackers illegally stealing credit card information from customers.
This should soon prove to be a problem of the past, as security-enhancing projects are in full swing to raise the safety conditions on money transactions on the Net. Very soon the Internet mode of life will be widely recognised and accepted. Anyone objecting to this new lifestyle will regret one day letting his stupidity show.
Ricky is a student at St Francis Xavier's College
Graphic: YPTALKGLO
