One might define the Internet as a " network of networks". Then you might have also heard this phrase which is currently popular "Getting strangled in this network". Yes it is the topic of hot debate these days. Any newspaper you lay hands on and any news channel you watch will have something to talk about the risks on the net. In the month of August, Adnan Patrawala, a 16 year old Mumbaiker was strangled to death. He still virtually lives because he has left an entire society to think about the moderation of the net. The culprit was identified to be a social networking site, Orkut. It is said that his acquaintances in orkut had kidnapped him and then tried to blackjack the boys family through redeem calls. When things seemed to go out of hand the friends have murdered the boy. This news has made this 'Google product' be in news for a long time now, but for the wrong reasons. There are many such social networking sites . Can we play a blame game on these sites for an unfortunate death?
Now get this word and use it right, " Social Networking". Social Networking sites are logged in by many to virtually meet people and to share interests and passions, to instantly message so that one can keep in constant touch with their business partners, school, college and family friends. An adjunct to television, such sites can be another means of amusement. To me such sites are a means of pastime. But this doesn't seem to be everyone's perspective. Many people feel there should be regularization in use of internet. I am not here to pen in defense of such sites. Whilst I strongly feel Internet doesn't need moderation, it's ones mindset that needs to be regulated. In a whim and for temporary pleasures we tend to lose our self control and fall for flattery forgetting that words like appearance can also turn deceptive. The problem is solved if all people logged into such sites are dependable and not troublesome. I have mused on this statement made by many " Advancements in technology has its negative impacts too". It would be nay to damn Internet technologies. It's just the human mind that is fickle and gets debauched, why blame the technology? We should learn to " Sift The Chaff From The Grain".
After many reported cases of pornography posting ones photos in such sites is also not advisable. " Ban Porn" this is a strong statement like " Inqulab Zindabad", it can kindle the revolutionary in you . Moral and ethical values taught, if remembered will go a long way in getting rid of this immoral behavior and incinerate the miscreant in one. One can't curb the freedom of speech and freedom of expression so the censoring of net will not be consented by many. Once the entire blogger fraternity rose with anger for subduing the blog sites. Chatting is the next issue which is highly hyped to be unsafe. Chatting with strangers, just to spend your leisure hours is fun, but remember " never get carried away". Marriages are fixed in heaven, on earth and now online too. Is this prudent? Well there is no one answer. Divorces and misunderstandings seem to be too common in arranged and love marriages itself, then a youngster might ask, why can't I find my better-half online? Ya, you can go in search of your Prince Charming or your Dream Gal on the net, but sometimes such chats might leave you disturbed because there are chances you end up knowing that it was just a one side love or you will break up if you find the person not dependable. Security and privacy are the main concerns, Internet is considered to be a sea of information, but rather than fishing what is happening is phishing. Phishing, sending false emails to acquire finance and other personal details, if you catch the bait then yes your bank balance will read zero. This can be resolved by being cautious and making use of the security tips given by the banks. The only solution that I can think of to all the risks posed by the net is to be strong at heart and " Never Ever Allow Anyone To Tip You Off Your Balance ". Your life is too valuable to be wasted on such seemingly threatening matters. Every step that you keep forward in life is to learn something new, and an easy way is the Internet with " Information Available Just Few Mouse Clicks Away". Try making the best use of it. See to that the dreamer in you doesn't get lost in the world of cyberspace, the reality is that we are all in the realms of earth together looking up to the same sky. Hence be bold and to all those who want to vex and play pranks with you, say " I Don't Care".
To the depraving and immoral people out there let me quote Dr. Carl Sagan's words. It was something that i read long back. The famous astronomer Dr. Sagan was moved by the image of our tiny world which was captured by the voyager. Here is an excerpt from his talk " We succeeded in taking a picture and if you look at it you can see a dot. That's earth. That's our home. That's the aggregate of all our joys and sufferings. The earth is a very small dot in a vast cosmic arena. Our posturing, our imagined self importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in this universe is challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. It's our responsibility to deal more compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we have ever known". Great right? Really humbling. Life, I believe is a character building experience. Live it up by loving yourself and being compassionate to your fellow beings.
To end this post in a nice note, today in my daily I read about the world's oldest blogger, a 95 year old Spanish woman whose blog is a favorite of the Spain's Prime Minister itself. She writes about her likes and dislikes. War, poetry, childhood etc. She says "Internet has given her a new lease of life, but I don't see any old people's homes offering their residents Internet". What a woman!! Link to her site is http://www.amis95.blogspot.com/. This is the only life we ever have, lets live it up by enlightening ourselves and by being innocuous to our fellow beings. " A good life is one which is inspired by love and guided by knowledge"- Russell.
Now get this word and use it right, " Social Networking". Social Networking sites are logged in by many to virtually meet people and to share interests and passions, to instantly message so that one can keep in constant touch with their business partners, school, college and family friends. An adjunct to television, such sites can be another means of amusement. To me such sites are a means of pastime. But this doesn't seem to be everyone's perspective. Many people feel there should be regularization in use of internet. I am not here to pen in defense of such sites. Whilst I strongly feel Internet doesn't need moderation, it's ones mindset that needs to be regulated. In a whim and for temporary pleasures we tend to lose our self control and fall for flattery forgetting that words like appearance can also turn deceptive. The problem is solved if all people logged into such sites are dependable and not troublesome. I have mused on this statement made by many " Advancements in technology has its negative impacts too". It would be nay to damn Internet technologies. It's just the human mind that is fickle and gets debauched, why blame the technology? We should learn to " Sift The Chaff From The Grain".
After many reported cases of pornography posting ones photos in such sites is also not advisable. " Ban Porn" this is a strong statement like " Inqulab Zindabad", it can kindle the revolutionary in you . Moral and ethical values taught, if remembered will go a long way in getting rid of this immoral behavior and incinerate the miscreant in one. One can't curb the freedom of speech and freedom of expression so the censoring of net will not be consented by many. Once the entire blogger fraternity rose with anger for subduing the blog sites. Chatting is the next issue which is highly hyped to be unsafe. Chatting with strangers, just to spend your leisure hours is fun, but remember " never get carried away". Marriages are fixed in heaven, on earth and now online too. Is this prudent? Well there is no one answer. Divorces and misunderstandings seem to be too common in arranged and love marriages itself, then a youngster might ask, why can't I find my better-half online? Ya, you can go in search of your Prince Charming or your Dream Gal on the net, but sometimes such chats might leave you disturbed because there are chances you end up knowing that it was just a one side love or you will break up if you find the person not dependable. Security and privacy are the main concerns, Internet is considered to be a sea of information, but rather than fishing what is happening is phishing. Phishing, sending false emails to acquire finance and other personal details, if you catch the bait then yes your bank balance will read zero. This can be resolved by being cautious and making use of the security tips given by the banks. The only solution that I can think of to all the risks posed by the net is to be strong at heart and " Never Ever Allow Anyone To Tip You Off Your Balance ". Your life is too valuable to be wasted on such seemingly threatening matters. Every step that you keep forward in life is to learn something new, and an easy way is the Internet with " Information Available Just Few Mouse Clicks Away". Try making the best use of it. See to that the dreamer in you doesn't get lost in the world of cyberspace, the reality is that we are all in the realms of earth together looking up to the same sky. Hence be bold and to all those who want to vex and play pranks with you, say " I Don't Care".
To the depraving and immoral people out there let me quote Dr. Carl Sagan's words. It was something that i read long back. The famous astronomer Dr. Sagan was moved by the image of our tiny world which was captured by the voyager. Here is an excerpt from his talk " We succeeded in taking a picture and if you look at it you can see a dot. That's earth. That's our home. That's the aggregate of all our joys and sufferings. The earth is a very small dot in a vast cosmic arena. Our posturing, our imagined self importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in this universe is challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. It's our responsibility to deal more compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we have ever known". Great right? Really humbling. Life, I believe is a character building experience. Live it up by loving yourself and being compassionate to your fellow beings.
To end this post in a nice note, today in my daily I read about the world's oldest blogger, a 95 year old Spanish woman whose blog is a favorite of the Spain's Prime Minister itself. She writes about her likes and dislikes. War, poetry, childhood etc. She says "Internet has given her a new lease of life, but I don't see any old people's homes offering their residents Internet". What a woman!! Link to her site is http://www.amis95.blogspot.com/. This is the only life we ever have, lets live it up by enlightening ourselves and by being innocuous to our fellow beings. " A good life is one which is inspired by love and guided by knowledge"- Russell.
8 comments:
"A bad workman blames his tools" - thats what I can say about the people who want to blame the internet for their problems.
Hi,its nice to read your post, and well,your work must be really appreciated.It is absolutely ridiculous to blame the technology for human errors.Like you said, it is the mind set that needs to be regulated. A recent news item says that a famous politician has appealed to ban orkut for making anti-religious comments ,and this shows his immaturity.It all depends on how one views at the problem.The problem with these people is that they don't think practically. Though some technologies can be destructive,but a technology like internet can never be destructive.It is the people who make it to be so.
kamalesh.
No society or community will be composed solely of saints. Sure, there may be a few of them. But the majority will be ordinary mortals who will succumb to temptations for wrong doing if it is strong and attractive and accessible enough and if the chances of discovery,humiliation or punishment by society is slim enough. Then there are sure to be a small fraction of outright crooks among us everywhere. What modern technologies like the internet, camera linked mobile phones, etc permit are opportunities for the middle group and immature children and teenagers and the mentally weak to stray. And it is usually children and women who are hit the most by crimes that follow. There is also strong global evidence that the use of certain technologies under the guise of 'entertainment'can also be addictive. In fact it is well known that the global Porn Industry is already the driver that decides on the selection of the next generation of data storage and retrieval technologies. So of course we could satisfy our conscience by repeating (a) that it is people and not technology that is to blame (2) that only a bad workperson blames the tools. But let us remember that a good workperson always locks up tools after use. I think that if we are responsible tool users it is also we who must discover, demand and use and popularize locks. Perhaps our highest technologies and brains are the ones that go into the killing machines and delivery systems of nuclear warheads. And I hope that our most capable locks are preventing their accidental or unauthorized launch!!!!!
Good post
Ban Porn’ was mentioned in Ramya's Blog. And I had commented earlier about the need for devising antidotes and ‘locks’ on technology. Now a report in the Economic Times dated 27 Sep. says that “Exhibiting sexually - explcit footage before a child will be considered criminal offence under the new IT Act….A committee also wants the IT ministry to crimilaise child-porn under Article 9 of the European Convention for Cyber Crimes……A revised draft of the IT Act 2006 will be put up for public comment” How may of our concerned agitated aggrieved indignant exasperated citizens in the IT profession would take the trouble of participating in this process? How many know the contents of our IT Act? I wonder…….
An idea....Agree anyone? Could we collectively get Hotmail, Rediff, Yahoo, Gmail, Indiatimes and the rest to permanently have a link on their Face Page to ANTI-PORN software. Maybe we can arm also twist to get such software (like AIDS DRUGS for Africa) , to be sold cheap or GIVEN AWAY FREE. Even if such concessions cannot be wrested, the simple information may help parents and those of us who have kid brothers and sisters. Of course, there are real chances -AND I AIN'T JOKING - that many of us are secret porn addicts...
A lot of our brightest youngsters, each year crowd into the well-paid employee lists of TCS, WIPRO, INFOSYS, SATYAM and other top Indian IT companies. Besides, big guns like Narayan Murthy and his ex-sidekick Nilenkani (spelled right?) are relatively cooling their heels without LINE FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES. If enough people feel that IT technology needs to be corralled we could possibly lean on these super IT companies to do something about it.
One last comment....Earlier I spouted about 'Control' of the Internet. Well there are limits to such control of any new technology and hi-tech services devised by humankind. Automobiles, Mobiles, Advertising, Genome Research, Nuclear physics, Organ Transplants, all like the Internet, have immense benefits along with their killing downsides.. The question is: Are we also growing into better human beings - whatever "better" means? Unless we do, we could get swamped by Technology and ever-complex Modern Living. Ramya is probably evolving her own solution when she says: "Never ever let anyone tip you off your balance" and when she exhorts us to say "I dont care" to people who vex and play pranks. What she's really saying - if I have understood her right - is that we should have control our ourselves and not blame an external world for being what it is. I agree with her totally! But again there's that word 'CONTROL'. I think that if we can control ourselves from within, we can do anything and no one can wreck us. Ancient wisdom say that our senses and advances in material things are OK, but it's our mind that really matters. But ancient things are better dead and buried or preserved for idle viewing in dry museums. Kya, teek hai na?
Post a Comment