 On The Net
with Chris Goh
Fast or slow? After you…
There’s a funny paradox in the fact that as technology makes our lives easier in real terms, things also become more difficult.
Perhaps it’s what some call yin and yang.
Recently I was stuck behind a car doing 70km/h in a 100km/h zone. I could seen another 15 – 20 cars in my rear vision mirror and over 15 minutes, more were added to the queue. I was getting frustrated.
Others honked their horns and one risked his life to overtake on a double yellow line. But then I began to wonder: Sure it was slow, but why should I expect the driver to travel at the speed which suited me? More importantly, why was I so worried about a few minutes difference in the 3 hour journey?
It reminded me of how frustrated I was when I recently used a friend’s computer that seemed to take a long time to boot up (forgetting that only two years ago, that speed was acceptable).
It dawned on me that as the pace of our lives quickens, it doesn’t take long for us to take the new improved standard for granted. As things become easier, previous hardships become something we’re not prepared to tolerate. Imagine if you were to live without anything digital for a week. For some it would mean they couldn’t even tell the time (now what does it mean when the big hand is pointing to the 12?!)
Others would have trouble cooking their dinner. Take the Playstation away from the kids and they will whine about how unfair life is.
Older people who have watched the evolution of ‘the easy life’, will tell you how lucky we are to have it, even if it does cause them some confusion, and forces unwanted change on a lifetime of habit.
However in a world of instant gratification, as I got closer to the overtaking lane, I realised there was one important thing I’d lost – simple patience.
In a society where you’re encouraged to speak your mind, do what you want to do, go where you want to go, there may seem no reason to wait for others or reserve judgement on them.
You don’t have to live life in the fast lane. The most important thing is to feel comfortable and in charge of whatever challenge you’re facing. And if that means you slow down a little, don’t let others bully you to do otherwise.
HotNews
The home of free trade, the US (which recently put tariff barriers on steel to protect its local industry) has released an amusing report by a US Trade Representative which has a shot at Telstra, accusing the telcommunications giant of being engaged in ‘anti-competitive’ behaviour and creating barriers to entry for other telcos. They claim that the wholesale price is too high, which deters others. Though this may be the case, Telstra negotiates wholesale prices with each organisation privately, with non-disclosure agreements, so the claim is hard to verify.
In Boston, 65 truant officers will carry mobile phones-PDAs with a record of the 63,000 students at public schools in the area. The database will have the child’s attendance history and contact numbers so parents can be informed immediately that their kid has skipped class. From there, it wouldn’t take long for someone to develop a program with the mobile phone companies triangulate the position of the student via their mobile phone… Sure it’s a big brother scenario and Australia’s new privacy legislation wouldn’t let that happen here. But you never know.
American authorities have ruled that chip implants are not medical devices, so they won’t be subject to the strict standards, reviews or regulation health related products normally face. It’s a surprising decision now that chip surgery has become a reality.
Shawn Woolley, 21, from Hudson, committed suicide minutes after disconnecting from the online game EverQuest. His mother blames the game for her sons mental status. Shawn like many who play it, was addicted to the never-ending online game, in which to succeed you require 20 hours a week plus in the online environment. Shawn was also an epileptic, and the last 8 times he played he had seizures while online. His mother is asking Sony who runs the online gaming environment to put warning labels and make it easier for people to deal with their addiction. Sony has been mute on both counts.
Hotsites
- www.safehaven-uk.org
- People who’ve endured sexual assault often carry an additional burden, beyond the pain and feelings of guilt, and that’s remaining silent about what happened because they feel they can’t share it with others. Safe Haven is an award winning virtual community where sexual assault victims can discuss, console and share their feelings.
- www.chinspirations.com/mhsourcepage/
- If you know someone with Bipolar Disorder or coping with depression, this site may help tackle some of the myths surrounding the illnesses. It contains excellent articles and contributions from the community, and has helped many people understand their own frustrations and ailments better.
- www.postalhistory.org/
- A little more for stamp lovers. Postal history is a useful, well developed portal with links to various philatelic sites. For details on the Australian Philatelic Society, visit www.aps.org.au
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