A Domain of One’s Own

Need to find something?  Just Google it.  Since its introduction to the public, going on the Internet has become synonymous with answers.  If we need something, we know that we don’t have to look through many heavy tomes to find what we’re looking for.

Pic creds to cvrcak1 on Flickr.

On passing whims, I tend to look up a lot of things and distract myself from what I’m actually doing (which is usually homework).  I think it’s really hard though, when one link seems to lead to another and to another.  By the time I reach the end of the line, I sometimes realize that I have spent hours surfing the Net and doing none of my homework!

Though it’s a great distraction, the Internet is something I wouldn’t choose to be apart from.  Yes the computer is bad for your eyes and yes it probably gives you cancer in some way, shape or form, but I get so frustrated when I can’t figure out the name of an obscure song that the minute I can, I try to look it up by using the one or two lines that I remember.  To me, solving these small, burning curiosities is one thing I’d keep the Internet around for.

To many people, the Internet is a form of self-discovery.  Among our chief pursuits on the Internet is an answer to the question: “What is our purpose in life?”  Well that’s no easy question, but maybe we can get started with a quiz from Quibblo, right?  The speed with which the Internet puts us in touch with the things we like, events, movies, and songs, can help us solidify our sense of self.  Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest help us share ideas and stay in touch with friends and family, distant and close.  Most of all, sites like DeviantArt and YouTube promote creativity, giving it a platform on which to present itself and perform/ make art happen.  The best examples of the growth that people undergo on these sites is best noticed by scrolling through the gallery page of DeviantArt artists or watching a bunch of YouTube videos by one person. It’s amazing watching someone’s artwork and style evolve over the years.  Similarly, old Youtube videos reveal different people at different times in their lives.  As time lapsed, the people changed as well, creating a small timeline for that person’s personality.  As we do with most things, we approach the Internet: wide-eyed, seeking answers.

Link to cvrcak1’s work: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29320956@N03/

Pilot: First Episode in Blogging

I’ve never really understood what a pilot episode was.  Maybe “pilot” was an inside joke of some sort.  Maybe “pilot” was something everyone but me found catchy and cool.

I finally caved in to my curiosity and looked up the definition of a pilot episode, which is a first episode used to test the waters, see who’s watching the series and predict if the show will sink or float in the vast sea of TV shows.  According to TIME Magazine’s “Ready for Takeoff: 10 Greatest TV Pilot Episodes”, a pilot episode “should intrigue you enough  to make you want to come back for the next installment.”  I guess a pilot episode hasn’t ever worked its magic over me then.  The only TV show I watch periodically is Jeopardy, which doesn’t have an episode explicitly titled “Pilot”.  It has a first episode of course, but it doesn’t have the “Pilot” episode and doesn’t come out with fancy, clever titles every episode like other TV shows.  Maybe the fact that Jeopardy is a game show is a significant detail.  Nonetheless, Jeopardy and pilot episodes aside, I needed something to start my blog.