As Time Goes By

There was a time, so long ago that I do not even remember how old I was then, I wanted to play around and work with computers. The only thing I remember about that era is that I was still living in Trivandrum which puts me at less than 10years old. It was at the place of my aunt's collegemate that I first saw a computer-her brother was using it. It was small, was cream in colour, with lots of digits and numbers on the screen in black and white- I did not know it was called a monitor, but knew the word screen from TV screen. There was also a board with lots of letters and it was truly strange and it seemed a device that commanded respect and the word 'Computer' itself inspired awe and wonder in me. In school, I took Computer Classes, went through BASIC, VB and stuff like that and it was a wonderful world. Internet was even more of a wonderland since my forays into them were only at school and my understanding of what it was, made me dumbstruck and overwhelmed. Solitaire, Minesweeper (Yes, it was obviously a windows machine) etc become wonders and fun to play. Playing DOS games (didn't know the term then too) like Prince of Persia, Mario and Racing made me convince I wanted to work this device in my life.

It was at the age of 14 that I got my first computer, it helped me a lot in my quiz preparations and was a tremendous boost through encarta and britannica encyclopedias. Taught me all about MSOffice and a few games like Roadrash,Commando and Deltaforce (the regulars like solitaire still held its charm) and my mother shouting at me to close it and get to sleep during vacation was a regular program too that came with the computer. Years later, when I am working with this device, the only thing I want to do is shut this thing down, go home and read a book and not have to look at this thing at all. The awe and respect that the word 'computer' had is all gone, it is so ubiquitous in my life. I see hundreds of them everyday and I have two on my desk at office and a laptop- an easy to carry, sleek descendant of the small black and white computer that I had first seen years ago.

This change in attitude is also similar to the change that a person working with the computer has undergone. The pioneers, the very first people who worked with it, during the first phase of the IT boom were lucky, they created it, made this work and made it what it is and developed it. Hardcore technology and the lot, I know very little of it, but I and most others working on this are merely using what the users and makers of the first computers have laid down in principles, concepts and creations. We didn't make it, we are merely using it. The growth from powerful computing tool to services to doing everything via the computer, that has meant our lives are on this- and I do not like this. I have never needed spects, but it might happen soon enough. Any compensation for occupational hazards? Can I sue my employers if they don't give me this compensation? I still need this device, to read, study, watch movies and listen to music and obviously to wiki and win more quizzes (hope that happens). Not to forget posting this on my blog. I like the fact that life is easy and we are all connected and communication has become easy, but I just don't want to work with this device in my life, rather, I don't want this device to get me worked up anymore, I just want the good things in life ;)