Happy Birthday Internet!

September 2, 2009 was the fortieth birthday of an invention (do inventions have birthdays?). Well this one sure does…if I can figure out when it was actually invented.

40 years ago, on September 2, scientists connected two computers together which could communicate. The talk was meaningless but hey, at least they talked (kind of like kids?!) So would this be the birth of the Internet? Of course, technically the World Wide Web as we know it was invented in March of 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee.

We’ve come a long way since then. The WWW was born 20 years after the first ‘communication’ between two computers. The first email was sent in 1971 while the first free web based email service, HotmailLogoEvolution

Hotmail,

was launched as late as 1996. Mosaic became the world’s first browser in April, 1993 while Firefox – King of Browserville – was launched only in 2004. Currently of course we’re rather spoiled for choice here with Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari and definitely last on my list, IE.

So what’s the next big thing for the Internet? Only time will tell…or maybe Google will. (cue ominous music)

P.S: Today is Dr.S.Radhakrishnan’s birthday. So Happy Teachers’ Day everyone!

Why Don’t We Raise Our Sons like We Do Our Daughters?

This post originally appeard in Women's Web: Why Don’t We Raise Our Sons like We Do Our Daughters? One of the hot button topics right now in Indian media is the safety of women – or rather how our country doesn't really care about half its population. From rape, sexual assault, harassment (in streets, public transport, nearly every public place) to violence perpetrated on women, Indians are finally getting around to discussing taboo topics. One refrain that caught my eye throughout these debates – both online and off – is the fact that the reaction of the majority of Indians is the same: girls should stay at home, not go out after dark, dress appropriately and so on if they want to stay safe. No one seems to bat an eyelid when laying down these precautions for women. Except that the reality is women would be far safer if all the men simply DID NOT RAPE or HARASS any person that looks remotely female. No one has to stay at home and become a hermit! That got me th

Arranged Versus Love Marriage

This post originally appeared in Women's Web: Arranged Versus Love Marriage: Here's Why Things Are Changing In 21st-century India, change is so rapid that we barely have time to get used to something before some new trend is on the horizon. And I'm not just talking about technology here. Whether it is human behavior, relationships, societal or cultural norms, Indian society – along with the rest of the world – today is hardly recognizable to my parents or their parents. It's not a surprise that the institution of marriage and the process of finding a life partner is also undergoing a metamorphosis. Perhaps this is one of the areas where the gap between generations is the most obvious. Almost every day, there is a TV show or media report or blog post talking about arranged vs. love marriages. So I figured I would present my take on it as well! Whenever anyone talks about arranged versus love marriages - I don't know why they are always portrayed as opposing

One Step Up

Radha Radha knew that Lakshmi was eyeing her sari, though no expression showed on her face. All the maids thought she was arrogant for not talking to them but Radha had never been one of those people who thought her caste made her a better person. It had just been easier not to talk to anyone when she had first come to the city. Besides, these maids never had anything much to talk about except gossip and no one knew better than her how much damage could be caused when women gossiped! It was gossip that made her believe in Chandrasekhar. That he was a famous author, pretending to be a wastrel and swindler for his latest novel. He had been so charming, she had fallen for him completely. Her parents had died when she was 13 and she had always wanted someone to take care of her. She had been so happy. Until the day she woke up to find that he had disappeared and her house sold without her knowledge. He had turned out to be a swindler, pretending to be a famous author. She had been l

Part Of Being Sane Is Being A Little Crazy

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