Welcome to my space on the Internet. Have you staked out a territory in this evergrowing digital universe? Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sherman Tseng a.k.a. 'Sharkie' (derived from an association with the dim-witted Great White Shark in the comic strip, Sherman's Lagoon).
When Wyndham Lewis coined the term 'Global Village' in 1948, he would have never imagined, I believe, just how far technological progress and innovations would propel us into the 21st century. Indeed, the ubiquitous Internet has ushered in a borderless world that finds no parallel in history. While nations are still separated by imaginary lines on the map, the Internet and World Wide Web have created a platform that circumvents the barriers that have kept human beings apart for centuries in communications, exchange of knowledge, sharing of expertise and even commerce. Shed in this light, the term 'Global Village' is an apt metaphor to describe the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW). Certainly, getting onto the information superhighway nowadays is not as frustrating as years ago when bandwidth was scarce and WWW stood for the 'World Wide WAIT'.
'Netizen' is a new identity for many people today. It seems to me that it is an evolving identity, which is shaped by the most ardent users of the Internet. Just a few years ago, one perhaps could qualify as a 'Netizen' if he or she surfs the Internet and uses the electronic mail. But at present, I think 'Netizenship' requires us to do at least one of the following:
1. Buy things from books to medicine online
2. Publish personal content as a 'blogger'
3. 'Chat' with friends, acquaintances and strangers
4. Play games and get thrilled on the Internet
5. Broadcast oneself on YouTube
The list is likely to grow. For the time being, I'm willing to take up 'Netizenship' if it exempts me from No. 5.
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