Hello dear Friend,
today I am writing to you from the public library in Miami. Yes, I am currently accessing the weg in a way available to anyone, even those who can not afford a computer, or pay for monthly internet access, or hmm... just want to see what it is like to ride this really amazing internet wave for free. I am temporary user number 56. My Time Pass will expire in just a little while. I am working on a slightly noisy Gateway E-4200, whatever this might mean. The screen I am looking at is a flickering VX700. The letters are large, I can imagine that what I am writing here can be very well seen from across the room. Number 61 is being called right now. 61 did not show up, 62 is a girl in Khakis and a pink top with white stripes. I have the feeling that 63 is this 9 year old boy, stepping from one foot onto the other, to somehow prevent something catastrophic from happening. He is staring at me as if I could somehow help him... I do not think I can.
The girl next to me is writing with the help of that annoying little animated paper-clip. She did not welcome the help from her younger brother who brought his colorful book about castles. On her screen are large quetions of the day: "Which liquid will freeze faster... grape juice, milk or water?"... (There are other questions, but I do not want to be kicked out of here.)
A little crowd of kids is getting ready to go to Home Depot. A girl, who's boy carries a really beat up skateboard seems to really need some help, at least this is what she keeps repeating to the gentleman at the front desk... He just gave her a CD.
This is a really well equipped library, there are good books here, the people seem kind and interested... I am just realizing somehow more that the majority of the blogs I linked to, and probably the majority of blogs out there in general, were not written in such an environment as the one I am in right now. I wonder how well I could possibly design and write and upkeep a blog if I were forced to do all this from this workstation, 30 minutes at a time, with many eyes looking at me, with many slightly distracting sounds, some inspiring, some definitely not.
Number 67 is being called. My time will be over soon.
I can not complain about sitting here. I can not complain about being allowed to just use this access point for free. I just walked here as a stranger and I am allowed to use the service, just like that...
The situation will certainly improve as we move forward. The access to the web will become much easier for many, cheaper for others. Soon there will probably be the feeling of the web being the new paper... accessible, disposable, everywhere...
Right now, today, there is a difference, there is a gap... it is just very interesting to be aware of it...
There is a large group of people out there who are allowed to share this space with us, 30 minutes at a time...
And among them are the people who will probably define what the world will look like for us, when we will barely be able to see the screen, or whatever will replace the screens, when we all come closer to our final destination...
Oh, and there will be....... (hmm... sorry, my friend... but my time is up....)
Your Witold (no spellchecker was used during the creation of this entry)