Anna Lee: Information Technology

Although the information technology was developed long time ago in Taiwan, its popularity has grown in the last ten years. The sweeping changes brought about by computing and communication technology offer Taiwan a good opportunity to become the largest computer equipment supplier in the world. Many computer professionals and workers; therefore, became wealthy. The ratio of people owning computers versus the total population of Taiwan is increasing. It’s reported that currently each family in Taiwan owns at least two computers. Email, Blog, and online learning have changed the way people communicate with each other. For the past ten years the information technology boom in Taiwan has also changed the way I search literature for my work and the way I communicate with others.

First at all, the information technology boom in Taiwan has changed the way I search literature for my work. As a teacher and a researcher, I need current and relevant references to enrich the content of my teaching and ensure the consistency and appropriateness of my research proposals and manuscripts. In the past, I had to go to the library to search books and journals in person. Sometimes, if a specific journal was missing, I needed to file a request and hoped that the librarian could find it in other libraries. However, with the assistance of a computer, now, I could stay home doing online searching efficiently and easily and never worry about the problem of missing important articles. Furthermore, I used to use a typewriter to prepare my handouts for the class and to write research proposals and manuscripts ten years ago. If a mistake was made, then I had to retype it. However, using the computer, I can easily correct mistakes and reorganize sentences. Moreover, the style of calligraphy is changeable, so I can select the most suitable letterform for my writing.

Secondly, the information technology boom in Taiwan has changed the way I communicate with others. While I was in Chicago for a short-term study several years ago, the airmail was the only option for sending oversea mails. It took more than two weeks to get a response back from my friends in Taiwan, which made me upset and worried. However, nowadays, in only one second, I can send a letter to my friend through email. Furthermore, MSN and Skype can let me hear or see my friends no matter how far the distance is. My mother lives in south of Taiwan and has no computer. The cost of sending a letter from Toronto to Taiwan is triple the cost of sending a letter from the opposite direction, and it takes about two weeks. After several weeks struggling and waiting for letters; I finally found a faster and cost-effective way to do it; that is, I email a letter to my sister who lives in north of Taiwan and she prints it out and mails it to my mother. It only needs CAD $ 15 cents and one day to deliver the letter to my mother’s house.

In conclusion, the digital revolution in information technology has changed
not only my personal life but also the whole world. It accelerates the information exchange. Although some people might think of the slow pace of the old time, the advancement of information technology is inevitable. The best way is to keep up with the pace and catch up with it.