Food, water, air & Internet

I remember a fine day in July 2004, when after spending some gruesome 20-25 minutes over the 45 kbps bsnl modem connection, I finally created a yahoo mail account and sent my first e-mail ever. This was not only my first rendezvous with electronic mail but also one of the first times I was learning something beyond Google. Some 5 years later, here I am, working on a WiFi, being online 10-12 hours a day and working on probably the coolest internet tools. My typical work day starts with checking mails and ends with tweeting and facebooking. I blog, I read news online, I talk to friends through net, my entire worksheets and projects are managed online, I bank through net, pay my bills through net and even have my CEO and MD added to my facebook friends list!!

The entire point is, what else in my life has EVOLVED so much as internet। I still watch the same TV channels, still hear to the same music bands, still like the same food and have not changed much as a person, but when it comes to internet, I see drastic difference in my online activity and behavior.

However it's not just me। The society I live in has grown to be increasingly net savvy and this trend is only increasing not only in depth ( that is the already net-savvy are becoming net-savvier) but also in breadth ( that is new people are joining the club). I see people stay online even when in office, not because they want to chat with people, but more because they don't want to miss any mail, people's status updates, comments etc. Moreover everyday I see more and more people responding to other people's content, commenting and liking their updates, tweets or uploaded videos, meaning people around me are not only becoming net savvier but also becoming more social and more engaged.

So can me and the society around me manage without net? Surely, they can as they used to some 10 years ago, but then whole point is that they wont like it। The fact that even at its nascent of stages internet has roped in all of us, definitely it has a long way to go. Earlier people thought internet was just a means of getting information (webpages, googling etc.), so people thought, its great but then how many times during a day do I need to gather information? Then it became a mode of interaction ( e-mails, g talks and messengers), so people thought, that's great, but how many people will I keep on interacting with? Then suddenly with gaming and downloading, it became a mode of entertainment, then it got integrated with our social lives ( through social networks) and work. And now it has given us a new way of expression where we don't need traditional media to make our voice reach to the world.

So what's the big deal about it? We all know that net is important। But what I am trying to highlight here is that if something is changing so fast around you, are you preparing yourself for it. Can you anticipate what it would grow into and what impact will it be having on you or your business by the time you would be celebrating your next birthday. You might be using it for checking mails or random search, but can you see it bringing money for you in the near future? Do you see it saving money for you or your time in the near future. Are you updated enough to what's happening all around the world in your field because your client might be? Are you internet enabled enough to save his time. Are you networked enough? Are you able to maintain required relations because your competitors/contemporaries might be taking advantage out of theirs. Do you know what is being said about you/your brand in the web? Do you know with the world changing everyday, what will soon become your customers demand?

Since after all the endless questions that might have been asked and all the endless doubts people might have had for internet in India, there are just two answers: Yes!! It will grow and No! you can't stay away from it.