The Diary
of
Anne Ku

13 September 2000 Wednesday

cooling down

EFFICIENCY IN CYBERSPACE part two

During lunch yesterday, I brought up the subject of cyberspace efficiency.

I said to the man standing next to me, "Surely it would get more and more seamless and efficient in cyberspace - with all the glowing improvements in processing power, bandwidth, database search engines, connection speed etc. But what about real life? When we come out of cyberspace, we'll notice how inefficient real life is."

As if talking to a wall, I continued. "Why would anyone want to come out of cyberspace? We have to queue for the telephone answering service and then punch multiple choice tests before we finally get to what we want - or maybe not. We have to endure strangers who don't understand what we want because they don't have an on-line database of our preferences. Surely we'll feel the growing discrepancy greatly?"

The man only nodded in agreement when I pointed out the irony of the conference. He, too, felt there was not enough substance. People can see through the glitz. With that, he finished his dessert and left the conference.

Meanwhile, I pondered over my latest thinking. Is that why I've become less patient with having to queue in the manner that the English so love? Is that why I can't stand having to hold on the telephone? Have I become a cyberspace citizen, impatient and fickle?

YESTERDAY

TOMORROW

I'm experimenting with a new look and feel, after I got tired of the bordered look. Here I'm playing with the hexadecimal colour code.

Related:
Efficiency in Cyberspace Part One: 12 Sept 2000