My Experience of the Apocalypse

Beep-beep. Okay, back to my old school days when I was still very young, crying along the corridors when my mother came in late to fetch me up until I was in fifth grade (circa 1999). I could still remember how I was eager to try what some of my classmates call “the Internet”. I know, I know… ‘lil kid trying to fit in and trying what’s in. Hmm, sounds familiar? Haha. But seriously, I was really wondering what I could do with it and/or the other way around.

I was somehow deprived the use of the Internet up until I was in grade 6—only here did we have a computer and if the net was down, I could already go out on my own to visit the net café. I found it really helpful especially when we were asked to research on tidbits of information that we were supposed to look for in the library. It was fun, it was easy, but the hardest part was to sort out all the facts because of information overload. But the best part, or maybe the sad thing was that our teachers didn’t care. All along they thought that we were these diligent pupils following what they have ordered us. Back then, we thought that the teachers haven’t discovered the Internet yet or maybe are just plain scared to try it out. True enough, both options were their reasons.

As I grew, I saw how the Internet was becoming more of help to the people around me. I hear the older batches in our school talking about the porn site that they have just discovered. Back then, before the reign of the Internet, it was only my cousins who I see sneaking and trading VHS tapes for their porn. Another is the way some of my mother’s friends trying to talk their clients into buy their products or holding meetings through conferences on YM and seeing each other with webcams. Before this, they were all busy calling up random people referred by their friends and going crazy with their schedules trying to fit in as much clients they could accommodate for the day. Also, we discovered how most companies; SSS for instance, are using the intranet to minimize paper use and to hasten the flow of information in their workplace. Back then, SSS was all about using reams and reams of paper for their info dissemination.

On a global scale, big companies are using the Internet to connect with one another. Companies can reach out to their clients and prospects without having to advertise their product. I think that this strategy is effective for them to be known and to sell their products like pancakes. And come to think of it, this is also a way for them to gauge whether the product has become a hit and to know what they can do to make it a hit.

Oh, before I forget, I just remembered the Golden Straight Jacket that Thomas Friedman talked about in his book—The Lexus and The Olive Tree, thank you to Sir Bern! At present, the Golden Straight Jacket here is the way companies bend the rules in their trade by advancing to the use of the Internet to be on top of the game. This breakthrough is a wise use of technology for one, information gets around quickly on the net and second, the Internet is fun, interesting and engaging. People would definitely want to come out of their shells and try something new that is offered to them.

So there… talk about net apocalypse, huh? Even we have upgraded to blogs for our academics. Haha. It’s fun though, something new and applying what we have learned. Well, maybe for now I’ll limit myself to this and leave all the binary language and what have they to the computer guy. ‘Til then!

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