Today for instance, I heared the comments and saw the score board of Wimbledon tennis in real time. The only thing which is missing is good quality real time video. The bandwidth is too low for that.
I now have a wired and a wireless LAN (local area network) in my home. I can use my laptop anywhere in the house and outside, even at the neighbors and still being connected. With the same technology I am now able to use my wireless LAN card in my computer when I travel. For instance during my recent visit to Stockholm there was connectivity in the Hotel, the Conference center, the airport and even in the Irish Pub!
MURRAY SUID (Palo Alto, California)
#Writer, works for EDVantage Software, an Internet company specialized in educational software
Murray Suid lives in Palo Alto (California), in the heart of the Silicon Valley. He writes educational books (e.g., Ten-Minute Grammar Grabbers), books for kids (e.g., The Kids' How to Do Almost Everything Guide), multimedia scripts (e.g., The Writing Trek), and screenplays (e.g., Summer of the Flying Saucer — to be produced by Magma Films, Ireland).
*Interview of September 7, 1998
= How did using the Internet change your professional life?
Professionally, the Internet has become my major research tool, largely — but not entirely — replacing the traditional library and even replacing person-to-person research. Now, instead of phoning people or interviewing them face to face, I do it via e-mail. Because of speed, it has also enabled me to collaborate with people at a distance, particularly on screenplays. (I've worked with two producers in Germany.) Also, digital correspondence is so easy to store and organize, I find that I have easy access to information exchanged this way. Thus, e-mailing facilitates keeping track of ideas and materials.
The Internet has increased my correspondence dramatically. Like most people, I find that e-mail works better than snail mail. My geographic range of correspondents has also increased — extending mainly to Europe. In the old days, I hardly ever did transatlantic pen-palling. I also find that e-mailing is so easy, I am able to find more time to assist other writers with their work — a kind of a virtual writing group. This isn't merely altruistic. I gain a lot when I give feedback. But before the Internet, doing so was more of an effort.
= How do you see the relationship between the print media and the Internet?