"We're Cultured" Thursdays: The Tech/Geek Culture

Note: This post contains a lot of links that leads to very complicated Wikipedia pages (obviously updated by geeks), and an excessive use of abbreviations. Oh btw, the image says sisterhoodftw in l33t5p34k. :D


I was thirteen years of age when I told myself that I will not use mIRC, ICQ and MSN, because they are vile, evil devices lurking on the internet that do me no good.

Today I eat my shorts.

Technology has become integral to us so much even within the last decade, and has very possibly revolutionized our lives. For one, you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't know what a blog was, and you wouldn't get here if not for something called a URL. We wouldn't be able to show you anything if not for a common 'internet language' called HTML and you wouldn't be able to comment if not for combinations of scripts, programs and codes such as above mentioned HTML and Javascript. Also, FTW as in SisterhoodFTW stands for 'For The Win' which originated from gaming talk, which made it to an internet slang. (:

Also, let me introduce you to (if you have not known about) this wonderful thing called RSS - our RSS feed is right there on the right, and it makes keeping up with updates much easier. (: (Sodabug: I don't have a clue how to use RSS btw, I am the n00b of the two of us).


Indeed, the internet has changed the way we communicate as well, through chatrooms, instant messengers, internet forums, emails(now with nearly unlimited storage spaces), tagboards (lol), Twitter and Facebook. Communication technology includes SMS-ing, MMS-ing, GPRS, Bluetooth, Skype, webcam-ing,and so much more. All of them are developed to enhance our lives, make it more effective, efficient, etc.

I've learnt and appreciated these technologies even more, especially when staying overseas, to keep in touch with the family, or even back in Singapore, to keep in touch with the Perth loves. Definitely, with no means should we hide behind the monitor every day and night and live life - no amount of technology will amount to the same impact of a real human touch, a real spoken word. And of course, it should not rule your life - God should!

SFTW was a thought in the air that concurred in an MSN conversation with Sodabug, but everything was only crystallized when we sat down for a cuppa and talked it through in person. And when one of our new year resolutions said to give more time "to living life on the outside and not through the medium of the internet", we do mean it. It is true - to experience life with people, to spend time with God, get inspired, on fire, passionate and come back here to share it is way better/authentic/honest than conjuring up something from the figments of our imaginations that we've never been through before.


Gah, there's so much to write about these internet culture stuffs. So Jess has very much "kindly" let me write next Thursday's post - internet persona vs real life, how MSN Messenger (now known as Windows Live Messenger) could have possibly saved your life or killed you in various circumstances.. and yes. I know that you know what I am talking about. (Of course unless you've not been on MSN long enough to know that, or that you've known about it and thus abstained from Windows Live Messenger)

Let me hear your thoughts about how very pleased/mortified/appreciative/frustrated/meh/etc you feel about instant messaging, and why so. Feel free to share your experiences with you like, and if you like some privacy, email me at potsandkisses [at] gmail [dot] com yes?

Cheers. (: