Google

At the University of Florida, I took a course called "Computers In Modern Society".  Towards the end of the course, we watched "Sneakers", a movie that showed how technology, such as encryption (or the breaking of), can be used for good or evil.  

In the movie, one character quotes a very profound statement:

"There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!"

This movie came out in 1992.  I watched it in 1995, just when the internet was in its public infancy.  As an aside, the development of the internet started in the 1960's...and no, Al Gore was not involved in the invention.  It just started to be used publicly in the 1990's. 

Although, we're not necessarily at war with the control of the information (funny I say that in light of recent anti-SOPA, PIPA protests), I am amazed at how much information is available at our fingertips.  Moreover, Google created sophisticated algorithms to harness and index all of this information that is in the internet.  

Need to know how long to boil an egg?  Google it...or maybe ask you mom.  

Not sure where Auburndale, FL is?  Google Map It.

Need to learn how to change the transmission fluid in your car?  Once again, Google it. 

Need to look someone up.  Google stalk them :-)  

Speaking of Google stalking...I remember the first time I did that.  It was in 2003.  And her name was Kenna Friddle.  I met her at a church function in Orlando, and I was just curious to see if I could find any information on her in the internet.  Doing a Google search on her name, I found out that she was in a Black Belt magazine for winning a forms competition when she was in grade school.  It's still in the internet and you can see it here.  

The funny thing is that it seemed so taboo back then because it was new.  Now, it's commonplace.  But I digress.

In grade school I remembered doing research papers by going to the library, looking up books in the card catalog, and writing notes on note cards.   Years later, when I was working at Harris Corporation in Melbourne, FL, the department secretary was helping her son look up information on the internet for his research paper, and they were allowed to internet listings for references.  

There's even a bibliography format for an internet listing.

I can't imagine life without the internet now...and it's not necessarily about information.  It's also the convenience of making purchases and transactions.  The first flight that I booked online was to Oregon with American Airlines. The first online bank I had was with ING.


And of course, it allows common folk like you and me to blog.

I'm grateful for the internet, and Google.