E-Com: Emergence of Technology

Oh yeah! We are now on the era of the fast changing technology where information is so easy to access and communication is real time. But, do you know electronic communications originated with the telegraph. The telegraph was a simple electrical circuit that transmitted electrical impulses across country via wire. It had two signals, a dot and a dash. This formed a code called Morse code that could be interpreted as words. Eventually, the code would be translated into all languages and became state-of-the-art technology. Because of these, telephone was invented. Then many new innovative and inventions have evolved in communication such as computers, wireless telephone, cell phones and now, the internet. Communications is moving faster and faster. Our communications are becoming more complex and our handsets are become more powerful. Before we become complex, why don’t we discuss the benefits of electronic communication.

Electronic communication is not only beneficial in our daily life but also to the society as a whole. That includes industry, education, workplaces, transportation and home. For personal, work and home use I can confidently say e-communication is convenient economical and instantaneous. With our mobile phone, we can easily get in touch with anyone. Families living apart or companies with affairs around the country or abroad can easily communicate using internet phones such as Skype, Viber, Hang-out or WebEx which is not pricey. E-communication plays a very important role in transportation and security too, in metropolitan areas hailing a taxi isn’t a problem anymore using an application, e-hailing in your phone or computer. Airline and train industries have used e-communication for a long time to avoid train or airplane collision, as well as to report airplane crash or to seek assistance. Industries like the Texas Instrument produces silicon chips that are used in fiber wireless and optic communication technologies.  IBM, the world's largest information technology company produces hardware and software for a line of business servers, storage products, and custom-designed microchips. The presence of electronic communication in major industries has made it possible to have more spread out distribution of work team members have made it useful in sharing information and communicating on projects. The Internet, email, social media and virtual team "rooms" are common tools used for electronic workplace collaboration.

The rapid and constant pace of change in technology is creating both opportunities and challenges in education. Electronics allow students to make their own choices about what they will learn and how they will learn it, thus giving them motivation to learn. Students also enjoy the fact they often get immediate feedback from a computer, that they can connect what they're learning to everyday technology, and that technology can have more engaging. The use electronics in the classroom on a regular basis are able to master technology while they learn. Besides learning actual computer-related skills -- which will likely evolve before they enter adulthood or the workplace -- they also gain confidence around computers.

BOC employee

However, advancement of e-communication doesn’t mean we can do everything we wanted to do. There are certain etiquettes that we need to follow over the internet to protect us from any transgression over the internet. This is what we call “netiquette”. According to Pacio (2012), some of the netiquette that we have to observe are computer courtesy, use of emoticons, being brief online, avoid shouting, be attentive to language issues, think before posting, keep personal information private, obey copyrights law, lend a hand to internet newbie, and be watchful to cyber bullying. I found computer courtesy, think before posting and helping internet newbie quite interesting. In relation to computer courtesy and think before posting netiquette I came across these two news, one was the controversial Balikbayan Box Policy of Bureau of Customs. It was indeed a hot issue because it really hit the sensitive heart of the OFWs but what made them go

ballistic was the Facebook message posted on the wall of one of the Bureau of Customs employee. It certainly boiled their blood that they are ready to shoot. Another was about a nurse working in a hospital in Singapore who was fired and sentenced to four

nurse in Singapore 

months imprisonment not because of stealing or insubordination but because of the seditious remark he posted on his Facebook wall that condemned the Singaporeans. This means that no one can get away from the consequence of one’s action. It again reminds us that we should be responsible in our own doing, think before we post. And don’t hesitate to help those who are new to computers and internet. I had personal experience about it with a classmate last semester. Well I didn’t expect that a professional in the police force doesn’t have any idea how to operate a computer and worse surfing the internet. 

Of so many technological developments we have right now, I can’t think of another innovative technology that I could contribute. But I deem it is a necessity to improve the internet speed in the Philippines. According to Shahani (2015), a report on Asia Pacific done by Akamai shows the Philippines to has the third

lowest average connection speed in the region—2.8 Megabits per second (Mbps) for the first quarter of 2015—much lower than the

global average connection speed, which is 5 Mbps. Moreover, the

Philippines also ranked fourth in terms of lowest peak connection

state of the internet

speed, with 20.3 Mbps—far from the global average of 29.1 Mbps. Big internet service providers are making money from the subscribers who do not get what they actually paid for. Good thing, the government is doing something about it to help improve internet speed of the country. Hoping, we’ll have improved internet performance as soon as possible.

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References:

Pacio, R. D. (2012). Electronic Communication.  

Edwards, G. (2010). History of Electronic Communication. Project Management. Retrieved September 25, 2015 from http://www.brighthubpm.com/monitoring-projects/86450-history-of-electronic-communication/

Alvinology  (2015). Popular Filipino band comments on Edz Ello’s seditious remarks. Yahoo News. Retrieved September 25, 2015 from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/popular-filipino-band-comments-edz-105928061.html

Shahani, L. R. (2015). Why is our internet so slow? Philippine Star. Retrieved September 26, 2015 from http://www.brighthubpm.com/monitoring-projects/86450-history-of-electronic-communication/

Photo Credit:

Florendo, J. [BOC Employee]. Retrieved from https://disqus.com/by/jhunflorendo/

Alvinology.com. [Nurse in Singapore]. Retrieved https://sg.news.yahoo.com/popular-filipino-band-comments-edz-105928061.html

Shahani, L. R. [State of the Internet]. Retrieved http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/08/24/1491398/why-our-internet-so-slow