On the Net

with Chris Goh

Sharing in the playground

When I started school in Australia, my English wasn't very good and it was hard to make a friend. The good thing was the friends I did make went on to become an important part of my life. One of the key things I remember learning - primarily because I was left out of the conversation - is that kids talk about what they saw on TV or at the cinema and heard on radio. That shared experience and understanding helped develop friendships.

My mum kept a tight ship and we were off to bed no later than 7.30pm. We only watched documentaries, there was no radio in the car and when it came to music her tastes were Burl Ives, Pat Boone and Jim Reeves. It didn't give me much to talk about with the other kids. I wasn't until uni that I discovered rock 'n' roll and my movies expanded beyond Disney.

But in another way, I was a pioneer in the playground. Computers were my hobby and it helped make friends (if you weren't sharing it, then you either had a rich family or discovered shareware/freeware early). That shared experience resulted in brought lively debate, fun competition and encouraged mutual and communal exploration.

Nowadays, in this era of choice, I've seen that making a real live friend in the playground hasn't become any easier. In some cases it's much harder. It seems that more children are less socially inclined and my theory is that it's a reflection of the way we have become as adults - less inclined towards general social activity and more individual in our behaviour. Now it's being passed down to our children. And one of the great ironies is that sometimes, the bigger the playground and the larger the school, the more alone a child can feel.

Is that why the internet has become such an attractive social tool for children? Is it because they can more easily find others people who share common interests online than in real life?

The challenge for parents is making sure that as they go off to play in this global playground, we still keep an eye on things and keep them safe.

Hotnews

Lenova, China's biggest PC manufacturer, has bought IBM's desktop business, which may be a sign of the future buying power of China's big companies in the global market. As part of the deal, IBM bought an 18.5 per cent share in the Lenova. All up, the deal has seen US$1.75 billion in cash, stock and debt bills change hands.

It gets more interesting: IBM also bought 80 per cent of Lenova's biggest competitor, Great Wall Computing, which means IBM will be directly competing with its old product line in China.

Meanwhile, Palm Source Inc has acquired the Chinese company MobileSoft Pty Ltd to gain easy access to handheld telecommunication devices.

The Red Jungle Fowl, the predecessor of the modern chicken, has had its DNA fully sequenced. Work is now underway to compare similar gene sequences in human to potentially pinpoint transgenic diseases like the Bird Flu virus. Apparently results show that humans share half the genes of the Red Jungle Fowl.

Siemens Communications Research Authority in Munich is claiming a new world record for wireless speed, transmitting a gigabyte per second using a system called Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM). The technology will be demonstrated in the 3GSM World Congress in February next year.

Sony and Samsung have announced a cross-licensing agreement that will see the giants share patents across the majority of technology they've created. There are some exceptions, including Sony's Playstation and Samsung's recent work in OLED technology.

Hotsites

www.animalpicturesarchive.com

If you love animals you'll really love this site. It's a collection of animal photos from people all over the world. Some are simple, some are cute and many are simply beautiful.

www.crikey.com.au

This notorious Australian site has become more famous and infamous for its political, media and business gossip. Former Jeff Kennett staffer Stephen Mayne has become something of an online gadfly, breaking stories (he published leaked documents as the Democrats self-destructed) interspersed with the odd scurrilous (and wrong) rumour. His daily email bulletin goes out to movers and shakers around the country. The result is a lively and entertaining debate.

www.homeworkspot.com

I think I might have to mention this one again in the New Year, because right now, I doubt any sane child is thinking about homework. This site offers much more and is an excellent educational tool for adults too.