Exactly two decades ago, in month of August 1996, I had my tryst with two innovations which eventually would turn transformational - Cell phone and Internet. Juxtaposing them was strictly fantasy.
At my work place in Calcutta, only one PC with brand new Windows 95 on it had access to internet. With eyes wide open, I gaped at the world wide web, as our instructor rumored to be immensely knowledgeable on internet browsing gave us a demo.
He carefully typed on the screen www.cricket.org, precursor to the ubiquitous crickinfo website. Popped up a picture of Wasim Akram in his baggy green outfit, my first ever sight on internet.
A person next to me ask our boss in Bengali - INTORNET TA KI JINISH (What thing is internet ?) Prompt came back this response - TUMI NACHBO, AMI DEKHBE (You will dance, I will watch).
Same week, I had my first exposure to cell phone, when a mobile saleman was running around the city, doing sales pitching of his mobile phone. I was just back from a stint in England and the guy thought (erroneously) that I could afford the luxury of a cell phone.
He showed me the phone which about the size of a foot long Subway sandwich. The thought of carrying a bulky item with me all the time was not quite appealing, With its protruding antenna carrying it in pocket would cause further embarrassment.
I was initially tempted into buying one as standing in line at STD booths after 9 PM (for cheaper rates) to make out of state calls was a real pain in the butt. Having a mobile with me would save me a trip to the dingy, sultry and stinky STD booths with the next guy behind the line frantically scratching the dirty windows making gorilla like gestures towards me.
It is said that in 1960s Elvis Presley, the famous American singer, possessed one of world's first mobile (cell) phones. The King of Rock 'n' Roll carried it with him in a suitcase, so that he could make calls from his limousine. The cost of a call was so exorbitant that only a celebrity like Elvis could afford it.
Same way the price of the calls was what finally dissuaded me from purchasing one. Each incoming and outgoing call would cost me 8 rupee a minute. I was not very enthusiastic about paying per minute what a Dosa or Chicken Roll would cost me at that time.
A few of my friends who bought kept their mobile numbers their best kept secret. One guy reluctantly shared his number with me so that he can sneak in incognito to my place for weekend bachelor parties without his wife's knowledge. He strictly told me to call him sporadically and hang up soon after saying "Party is on", for the calls were exorbitant.
Those days internet access at work in India was limited to mostly to office. During the regular hours at work it was surfing (the term has given way to browsing) time. During the day it was mostly viewing Hotmail and for some, looking at hot females after hours. No website was blocked, hardly any security measures were followed. I am sure anybody trying to access such sites now at work these days will pay a hefty price.
Now cell phones are a lot slicker, handy and gives you the access world wide web on your fingertips. It has become an inseparable part of our paraphernalia.
On days if I leave my smartphone at home, I feel like the smart monkey of the PANCHATANTRA fairy tell, who once told his Crocodile ride about leaving his sweet liver back home. Love it or hate it, cell phone has become our inseparable organ. Love it or hate it, learn to live with it.
At my work place in Calcutta, only one PC with brand new Windows 95 on it had access to internet. With eyes wide open, I gaped at the world wide web, as our instructor rumored to be immensely knowledgeable on internet browsing gave us a demo.
He carefully typed on the screen www.cricket.org, precursor to the ubiquitous crickinfo website. Popped up a picture of Wasim Akram in his baggy green outfit, my first ever sight on internet.
A person next to me ask our boss in Bengali - INTORNET TA KI JINISH (What thing is internet ?) Prompt came back this response - TUMI NACHBO, AMI DEKHBE (You will dance, I will watch).
Same week, I had my first exposure to cell phone, when a mobile saleman was running around the city, doing sales pitching of his mobile phone. I was just back from a stint in England and the guy thought (erroneously) that I could afford the luxury of a cell phone.
He showed me the phone which about the size of a foot long Subway sandwich. The thought of carrying a bulky item with me all the time was not quite appealing, With its protruding antenna carrying it in pocket would cause further embarrassment.
I was initially tempted into buying one as standing in line at STD booths after 9 PM (for cheaper rates) to make out of state calls was a real pain in the butt. Having a mobile with me would save me a trip to the dingy, sultry and stinky STD booths with the next guy behind the line frantically scratching the dirty windows making gorilla like gestures towards me.
It is said that in 1960s Elvis Presley, the famous American singer, possessed one of world's first mobile (cell) phones. The King of Rock 'n' Roll carried it with him in a suitcase, so that he could make calls from his limousine. The cost of a call was so exorbitant that only a celebrity like Elvis could afford it.
Same way the price of the calls was what finally dissuaded me from purchasing one. Each incoming and outgoing call would cost me 8 rupee a minute. I was not very enthusiastic about paying per minute what a Dosa or Chicken Roll would cost me at that time.
A few of my friends who bought kept their mobile numbers their best kept secret. One guy reluctantly shared his number with me so that he can sneak in incognito to my place for weekend bachelor parties without his wife's knowledge. He strictly told me to call him sporadically and hang up soon after saying "Party is on", for the calls were exorbitant.
Those days internet access at work in India was limited to mostly to office. During the regular hours at work it was surfing (the term has given way to browsing) time. During the day it was mostly viewing Hotmail and for some, looking at hot females after hours. No website was blocked, hardly any security measures were followed. I am sure anybody trying to access such sites now at work these days will pay a hefty price.
Now cell phones are a lot slicker, handy and gives you the access world wide web on your fingertips. It has become an inseparable part of our paraphernalia.
On days if I leave my smartphone at home, I feel like the smart monkey of the PANCHATANTRA fairy tell, who once told his Crocodile ride about leaving his sweet liver back home. Love it or hate it, cell phone has become our inseparable organ. Love it or hate it, learn to live with it.
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