"Welcome to the global village!" I'll never forget the first time I saw that greeting appear while surfing the Net -- it instantly made me feel warmly welcome, as if I'd entered a special place where people gather to share and understand one another.
Let me explain that when I went on-line, I was like a little kid in a candy store; I was amazed, astounded, dazed by all the wildly diverse sites, homepages and businesses, ezines and interactive games. It felt like the electronic world was whirling before my very eyes, leading me into a dance of mesmerizing proportions.
I was a random surfer, hitting a site, then hitting a link to another site, just gliding and smiling, finding it a pleasurable adventure. I couldn't imagine "organizing" this safari into a tame jungle of wonders. How could I do that? It seemed I barely hit a spot, began to read, when I realized I could actually communicate, interact with whoever was represented and, of course, I couldn't resist sending off comments!
It was like watching TV, maybe, but being able to react, make your thoughts/feelings known about what you were seeing. How many times have you sat before a boring movie, watched an insulting advertisement, or just plain left the TV with disgust at programming? Imagine if you could tell the actors, the producer, the director of a movie, the sponsors of ads, your response to what they'd presented? Sure, perhaps it wouldn't be a positive comment; but regardless, the ones putting out this stuff would get important feedback. And who's the winner in this? You, the consumer! Finally, you'd have a say in what you like/dislike on just about everything!
Folks, that is what the Internet is building toward -- a time when you can sit and browse for your favorite movie, a good book...to be downloaded, and then express your comments about it. True, it's ahead in the future, but not that far off.
I remember I couldn't resist commenting on the homepages, and fully expected to never hear from these people. But you know what? Every single one sent me an email thanking me for visiting their site, for leaving a message! After dealing with an unresponsive public as a journalist, or getting insulted constantly, I was surprised at the friendly warmth of this Net community.
And that's not all, every single business I've contacted has been similarly responsive (hard to believe, I know!); the ezine editors were quick to let me know about my queries into submitting work; and now that I've been on-line several months, I still maintain friendships with several of those I first met by email.
If I had to describe my first impression of the Net, I'd say it was overwhelmingly positive. Not that there aren't hidden pitfalls and drawbacks, like security measures for confidential material; or accidentally attracting an obnoxious person into your electronic orbit.
And a friend warned: "One of the most difficult aspects of the Net is that it brings you emotionally 'close' to other people and yet it's not always as easy to meet them in real life, say because of distance and lack of resources for extensive travel. I think the Net can be a real 'teaser' because it brings us 'up close and personal' but yet doesn't make it any easier to actually be physically together. On the other hand, that intimate side of the Net is what makes it possible for people to get to know one another 'from the inside out', which over time can lead to a very deep and meaningful relationship both on and off the Net."
Even though I have many uses for the Net, I still try to fit in a bit of surfing, and I'm always looking for interesting, entertaining sites to visit. Of course, I primarily use the Internet for research and writing-related pursuits. But whether traveling for fun or serious information, the Net is an endlessly fascinating road I love exploring in all its grandeur -- indeed, it is revolutionizing the world's social structure, creating a global community that can bring better understanding to racial and cultural differences, perhaps even foster a peaceful future for humanity.
