One in a Million

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be part of history in the making. I always wondered what that would feel like. Since I was a child, I had envisioned the entire scene. With a gold medal hanging around my neck, television reporters from around the country would be interviewing me. I would even have a feature page in The Guinness Book of World Records.

But making history came in a much more subtle way than I ever could have imagined. With the click of a button, I chose to follow Ashton Kutcher on Twitter. In case you haven’t heard, Ashton subsequently became the first Twitterer to gain 1,000,000 followers.

I was kind of upset at first. Granted, I was happy Ashton won and was willing to make a charitable donation because of his win, but I was a little upset that I was just a number. One in a million to be exact. So my vision didn’t exactly turn out as expected, but making history via the Internet makes me feel very 21st century, especially since I grew up without the Web.

The experience made me realize how communication has improved the ability to share information faster and smarter. The capabilities we have discovered are now so often taken for granted. Monday, Google celebrated Samuel Morse’s birthday and his invention of the single-wire telegraph, which was less than 175 years ago. Amazing that in 175 years, we have seen communication channels transform from the telegraph to the Internet. Samuel Morse couldn’t have dreamed of the capabilities we have today – the ability to instantly connect from anywhere in the world.

CNN wrote an article in January that delved into the technological advances we can expect to see by 2025 – everything from sensors woven into clothing to systems portrayed in science-fiction dramas. CNN suggested that the computer network will become the face of government:

“The [technological] changes hold such promise that Americans’ view of government could begin to improve as services become more efficient and the public interacts with previously faceless bureaucrats. Meanwhile, advances in technology could change our basic notions of the republic, making it much more direct and involved.”

So, is this technology the Morse code of our day?

I think so and @aplusk would probably agree.

-Kayla Gail Anthony