The Internet: A Library of Diaries

The Internet: A Library of Diaries

When I was a small child I remember a man entering our home with books. My father had invited him to show me two volumes of the encyclopedia Brittanica and one science book. I was amazed by the high gloss insertions and magnitude of available information. My dad could see I was elated.  I remember the price of the various sets of books was quite expensive. It was something my dad could not truly afford. But like all immigrant parents my dad attempted to provide me as many tools as possible to heighten my intellect.

The encyclopedias proved to be a valuable resource for primary and secondary school projects. As a child, I assumed that a vast amount of knowledge was contained in those books, and made library visits less frequent. As I grew older, the school library and the public libraries became more purposeful. Select topics available in an encyclopedia were represented by rows and rows of books on library shelves. Just as mainframe computers are now represented by rows and rows of individual servers.

Upon entering university the libraries became a necessary evil. Professors made assignments contingent on library research. The university libraries were filled with individuals seeking scarce resources - all attempting to access the same resource until it was returned by an alternate student. One particular library, among all the campus libraries, had a ominous feel. It was the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library. It appeared grand and always left me uneasy. I remember a sign directing visitors to the rare books section. I always wanted to visit that section of the library but never did. Rare old books stirred a sense of mystery in me. In fact, they reminded me of death. Libraries made it possible for word-filled pages to explain Man’s ascent from ignorance into gradual enlightenment. From sticks and stones into technological wonderment. But with each great discovery I realized that something of the past had faded and died.

It was only when I studied computer science and learned different programming languages that I started to reflect on the concept of man and machine. I remember staying up late into the midnight hours awaiting a teletype machine to become available so I could type logical code onto my Fortran cards. Then I would run the six to twelve inch stacks of cards through a reader and wait for the printout. Error codes meant the night would become longer and more frustrating. 

The 60’s and 70’s proved to be decades of confusion and an imperceptible change.  You could feel the transition, but did not know where it would take you.  Hippies, rock’n roll, pot, long hair, mini skirts, protests and computers. Where to fit into the future became a daunting task, yet few realized that it would be our generation that would have a profound effect on the future of the world. Our generation started a technological revolution that would end with the demise of the library, the book and humanity’s ability to think. Yet we thought differently.

Technology quickly entrapped us into believing that access to knowledge would be much easier. We have instead been entrapped and now feed whatever is left of us into a much more sophisticated card reader. The reader today is not reading cards, rather analyzing our behavioural patterns, and storing that very personal information on a vast array of computer circuits. 

Social media and many other algorithmically controlled technology have also taken control of our personalities. We thought we were going out to seek knowledge and communicate with friends, when instead we entered a chasm with no known exit and a gradually disappearing entrance. Below, I have provided you a thought I scripted years ago.

The Diary

Friday, October 19, 2012

In a time long ago, people of all ages and walks of life kept a journal of their “path”. The document recorded one’s precious moments, life’s lessons, romances, friendships, hardships, challenges, triviality, the first instance of love, someone’s passing or any event that left a substantive impact on one’s psyche. Why individuals were and are drawn to keeping a personal diary remains a mystery. The most important attribute of a diary, however, is that it would remain a “secret”. It would impact a reader(s) only when the writer's time on this planet came to an end.

While many may chuckle at the thought of a keeping a diary today, the final laugh may be on them. Social media forums such as Facebook or MySpace are in fact personal diaries with a twist. Social Media unlike written diaries store photographs, conversations or events. Accessibility to that storage, however, is dependent on the whims of a “hidden technology – i.e. www”. 

The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words still holds true. Pictures have been around for about 150 years, yet in times past, the diary was seldom complimented by photos. The difference: the extent to which one exposes his or her true “self”.

The amazing thing about the internet is that it provides someone the ability to have many virtual characters and/or characteristics. In fact, it may be concluded that the internet has created a “schizophrenic” society. When we publish our thoughts via social media, our true self is at risk. It is conceivable that individuals migrate toward virtual characters and steer away from their true self. Individuals may do this to satisfy a cultural norm or popular theme, often leaving one’s true essence behind.

Diaries are unique because they express one’s inner most feelings. In many instances these feelings are not shared with strangers, or even loved ones. As one grows older, one could refer back to a specific date, reminisce on what transpired or reflect on how they felt at that time. They could re-evaluate decisions made about an event or evaluate how those decisions would have changed had they applied their new found wisdom or knowledge to the circumstances of long ago.

The secretive, and personal nature of a diary, preclude external forces changing who you are. My BLOG records my personal thoughts and ideas but it does not attack who I am, rather it opens windows to strangers around the world. This is my way of transferring consciousness to all humanity. It is done in secret, yet it has a public dimension. My hope is to impact the way you think and see life. I’m not an expert on any one particular field of study, nor does it matter. Education does not make you an expert, your inner most feelings come from something greater than yourself. He has already made you an expert.

The understanding of your inner self has far reaching implications, in fact, when you understand the true nature of “yourself”, you will find that you are not that much different from anyone else - as many would have you believe.

Thank you,

Joseph Pede