Google is my Best friend

What is the first icon that you click on when you open your computer screen?

What is that on service on your phone which if not present makes your phone useless?

What is that power in your hand that a little twitch of your fingertips and the world is at your command?

Thinking..

Well..

If Vincent Cerf was sitting in this room today, he would have definitely looked at me and smiled because he would have exactly understood what I am trying to say. But back in 1980s even, Mr. Cerf himself didn’t realize that he is about to change the face of the world. He is about to create a revolution. Mr. Cerf has given the world Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and the revolution is fondly called the internet.

I understand I can get mixed reactions over here, many of you here will really think is really internet a revolution or an overrated technology? Especially those parents or older siblings whose young kids and young bro and sis are glued to the internet like bees glued to honey

But I want to support my case over here with some facts,

Internet is that industry that has grown over 500 percent in terms in the past 10-12 years. It had a humble 361 million users back in the year 2000 which has become a whopping 1967 million in 2012 that’s almost 2 billion. This industry has given chance to the young minds to ignite and become millionaires’ billionaires’ over night. Mark zuckberg, Andrew Fox, Larry Page, Sergey Brin to name a few. One of the biggest IPO’s in the history of US markets which had a capitalization of over $104 billion was that of an social networking internet company, Facebook

A recent report in India said that there are more mobile phones than toilets in india and I would like to add that more than 50 percent of those mobile phones have internet on them. Internet has really become super common even more than the common cold.

Now coming to individual levels

Internet has made the world Flat, made us individuals Smarter and Richer and our lives simpler and convenient

The distance barrier has almost gone; if the world was small it has become smaller.

My aunt’s paternal family is settled abroad, somebody in Dubai, somebody in Germany, somebody in the Netherlands. She used to meet them once in 4 years once in 8 years, but now she literally lives in their dinning/ drawing room every day, they see each other and talk for hours and that too at the cost of some pennies

We have become smarter, thanks to internet.

One day my FB status read, Potato Gnocchi is the worst form of Italian Cuisine, I thought Gnocchi? I haven’t heard of something like this before, I quickly goggled the word and found myself a recipe, there was a flash in the screen there, Italy in Euro Cup Finals, I followed that read that story then again a Pop up came, Euro Crisis getting Worse, I learnt about three topics in a matter of three clicks.

I became Smarter

You want to learn everything tiny thing on the internet, from knitting to web designing, from cooking to grooming, register in colleges, file returns, pay taxes online and much much more than that.

The world has become Richer.

For many of us internet means facebook, twitter and email but for some more enlightened individual, internet is much more, it’s the world of e books, e magazines, e newspaper. It is a pool of free knowledge.  They even save their cable bill by watching most of the stuff online!!Off course they are saving a fortune over there and I am sure they can buy a Merc after 10 years from that saved money.

The one more thing that internet has revolutionized is shopping, if you haven’t done any online shopping till now, I really pity you. There are offers, discounts , cash on delivery options, return policy of 30 days, not only it saves our hard earned money, it also saves time and is simply very convenient.  A click on the screen and the item is at your doorstep. With hordes of online sites available like Flipkart, Amazon, e-bay, 99 labels, snap deal, book my show, free charge you surely don’t want to give it a miss

The time is not far when, some of these Yebhis or the Mydalas or the Snapdeals would go online selling fruits, vegetables, and all the grocery items. Pardon me if there's already an existing one for all such items; however I haven't come across any until now. Trust me, the day's not far.

Our own club Toastmasters International is a offspring of the internet, we all our connected to TM Int by internet, we pay our dues, update our development, all on the internet. Our club, our meetings, our development would not have been possible without internet. We also have our very own you tube channel, we all have become superstars on the internet.

Internet is not a dying technology, it is a platform that is here to stay, if properly utilized it is like the intelligent best friend you never had. Your dad, mom, brother, sister, your friend and most importantly boyfriend and girl friend might not have all the answers you seek. But take my word Google will have all your answers minus the tantrums too!!

P.S.: This was was Second Speech at Toastmasters Club

P.S.S: I got the Best Speaker Ribbon for this...Yayy!