I’m not what you’d call a huge fan of technology. I only use a computer for typing papers or watching movies. I don’t play computer games or photoshop pics or burn cds or download music. I don’t surf the internet unless I’m looking for something specific or occasionally checking my email. My phone is far from fancy – no camera, no music player, no bluetooth. I thought the color screen and polyphonic tones were its most advanced features, until my sister activated the WAP/GPRS service - which I don’t use either. And I would still be stuck with my ancient desktop had it not been for a hand-me-down laptop which I feared to touch at first, for fear I would somehow hit its self-destruct button. (Obviously, this is my first blog. Since this is my very first blog entry ever, forgive me for not discussing any policy issues yet.)
I have survived knowing only the barest minimum about technology. Fancy gadgets are wasted on me because I don’t have the patience to read through manuals. I don’t enjoy fiddling with new hardware or exploring new software either. And it’s not only because of lack of interest - the unfamiliar fazes me. I know tech stuff is supposed to make my life easier but I am still resistant because I think it’s just so darn complicated.
I’m not proud of the fact that I’m a non-techie. In this day and age, technology is inescapable. Even for a career in law – where I thought it didn’t matter if one wasn’t tech-savvy – it is fast becoming vital to know more than Microsoft Word. A lot of legal research is done online, particularly for foreign sources. Lex Libris is a must-have resource. Templates for various legal forms help cut down work hours. Cyberlaw and IT-related intellectual property law are new, exciting, lucrative areas of specialization.
Even the Philippine judiciary has recognized the need to keep up with the times. The Supreme Court launched a program to provide computers to all courts and its website is continuously being upgraded. The situation is far from Singapore’s “paperless courts” but the mindset is very progressive. Technology is being harnessed to meet the ends of justice.
Where does that leave me? I don’t want to be roadkill on the information superhighway, so I’m slowly adapting to the times (I signed up for the class, didn’t I?) I have recently bought an mp3 player - one with the simplest features (baby steps!) – at first out of necessity (it helps tune out noise when I study). But I’ve enjoyed organizing my music files and I like the convenience of carrying my own music everywhere.
With this awareness of how helpful (and fun!) technology can be, I’ve become more open to new things. I still won’t qualify as a techie but I’ve recently installed a desktop search engine and acquired a wireless notebook adapter. How’s that for baby steps?
And yes, I now have a blog.
-bodee
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