The Internet
The Internet…is it a boon or a curse? This is a very debatable topic. We would need to look at the pros and cons of it and then draw conclusions. Even then it would not be possible to totally answer yes or no to the question. It would depend upon individual personalities as well as the situation that we are in. In my opinion, the Internet is definitely a valuable source of information, but as with all forms of technology one must know how to make the best use of it.
Let’s step back a few years from now. We were totally dependent on books, the experience of other people or data stored in other forms for getting information of any sort. The problems with those kind of information sources is that it is time consuming, inconvenient and often times even misleading. The concept of weeding out data from old reports and books was a time consuming and painful process and would itself deter people from trying to get new information.
But today with a touch of a button we can get any information available, sitting in the comfort of our homes. We are more knowledgeable and aware of things happening around us. Technology has given us the greatest power at our fingertips…the power of knowledge!
Lets take an example. Suppose someone wants to start off a business venture. He can get all information regarding other companies in the same line of business, he can do a cost benefit analysis, gather corroborating data, make new contacts, and so on, thanks to the internet. He is now well informed. If he has to discuss this with other potential partners he is armed with a wealth of information.
On the other hand the Internet does supply an overload of information. Hence if you give a topic in a search engine such as Google, you will get a number of sites that would cater to the information required. Now if one were unable to decide what information to cull out and what to leave, it would be a painful experience rather than an enjoyment.
So in conclusion, it really depends on how you use a particular technology used in moderation and in an intelligent manner it could be the greatest tool. Otherwise an enemy that steals time and waylays and deters a person from achieving his ultimate goal.
