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The Net - Computing News
with Chris Goh
Finding the Meaning of Christmas
It's not easy to admit, but Christmas is a time I face with trepidation. I worry about accidentally running over a child with my shopping trolley, the impossible length of the checkout queues, that I'll leave someone off my Christmas list or give presents people don't want. Throughout of all these fears, there is one thing that I fear the most, and it's that when I wake up on Boxing Day, Christmas felt like any other day.
I was once an organist at church and also in the choir. It was all a rush, and if you asked me what happened during the liturgy, I couldn't give you an honest response because I was so consumed by my responsibility.
Christmas can be like that - an event where we carry out the required rituals, but often without the necessary time to reflect on its significance. Each person will have their own spin on what Christmas means to them. Some would say it is about family, the religiously inclined regard it as a celebration of the birth of the son of God, and others consider it nothing more than a day off work.
In this information age we realise that there is no definitive answer.
The Internet can tell you why Christmas is special to so many people, but it is only in self-reflection that you have a true opportunity to answer those questions for yourself
This festive season, my fears are still prominent in my mind, but like every other year, I have faith that on the day, I will find the meaning of Christmas, as I've done for the last decade (prior to that, the meaning was determined by what lay underneath the Christmas tree!).
I hope that during this time of scarce parking spaces, dutifully visiting the in-laws, getting nagged by the kids for a new game, that you get that special moment where you find the meaning through it all.
HotNews
People with retinal disorders that cause blurred vision and blindness may have some hope, with US scientists successfully restoring sight to three dogs using a silicone implant which contains a microchip. The microchip stimulates regrowth of cells around the retina, slowly returning vision. Human trials are planned and the technology may be available for humans in the next three years.
In New York, the largest known case of online identity theft saw $3 million stolen from around 40,000 people. The major thief was the helpdesk officer for Teledata. He used his administrators access to gain personal credit information that he sold to two others, who in turn sold it to at least another 24 people.
SMS celebrates its 10th anniversary later this month. It's funny to think that in December 1992, the first SMS was sent. Now it's a cultural phenomenon. How did teenagers ever survive back then?
Victorian students waiting for their VCE results (the southern equivalent of the HSC) can have them SMS'd to them to calm the anxieties and pain of waiting.
Palm has lost its PDA dominance in Australia. The Compaq iPAQ has sold more units in Australia than Palm, taking 33.7 per cent of total market share. Palm has just under 33.4 per cent.
You may have seen an email currently doing the rounds, attributing unusual causes of death and injury at Christmas to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It is a hoax. The same thing happened last year, but some media outlets fell victim to the hoax by not checking the story and ran it complete with incorrect attribution. The real ABS released the official death and causes of deaths figures this week.
HotSites
- www.cakerecipe.com
- Without a doubt, I am the worlds worst cake maker. They often end up looking like someone has stepped on it, or a mushroom cloud. However help is at hand for those that want to avoid the cake shop and make their own. Cake recipe has heaps of stuff and ratings by people who have been brave enough give it ago.
- www.itsf.org
- If you've ever wanted to write a science fiction novel, here's your big chance. An international competition is held by the European Space Agency, which is looking for authors who will be the next Arthur C. Clarke. The only catch is that you have to be aged between 15 and 30 and the story must be less than 2500 words.
- www.themoonlitroad.com
- Mystical and fantasy stories are storming the box office, so here is my weird site of the day, written apparently by the best story tellers from South America. The collection of stories goes back to the late 90s and you're sure to find a tale here to tell your kids at night.
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