Monday, October 22, 2007

What a Cyber grandpa said on TV9...

The TV9 Talk Show on October 16, 2007. A historical day for Malaysian Blogger. It was an opportunity that comes once in a while, so I tried to do my best so that viewers of the program get a clear message of what Blogging is and how the society could benefit from this new media.

Since many blogger including those outside Malaysia did not get to see the live show, many ask me what I said during the talk show. So for the benefit of all I am narrating here about the contents of the show.

I spoke on the important of this new media, new compare to the Newspaper, the TV and the Radio as a mean of disseminating of information to the masses. The Internet and Blogging especially is a totally a new tool and like any new tool we have to handle it with care and in blogging we have to be responsible of what we blog. Malaysia is an emerging society with its set of the do and don't. Much as we might like to write our thoughts and share it with the public, we also have to take into consideration of the Malaysian factors, a country which is just fifty years old. In history fifty years old is but a brisk period.

I talk of why I blog, first it is because I have an active mind. I am sixty eight years old and had seen this country progress from day one. I saw the country during the colonial era, the Japanese occupation, the fight again the communist insurgents, the Emergency period and how we had progress this far. With the experiences and some wisdom I wanted to share it with the society of the country I love. I felt that my thoughts would just go to waste if I just kept it to myself. So blogging gave me that opportunities to share my thoughts and at the same time keep my mental faculty active. I gave some example as I spoke.

I then spoke of the important of the Internet. As we all know the Internet is nothing without its content and at present most of the contents came from the west, so by blogging Malaysian who blog are actually the content provider for the Internet. We write about various subjects and this enriched the content of the Internet. Without our contribution in form of blogging the Internet would have to relied on other sources to get information. So blogger are actually playing a very important role in the storing information especially about Malaysia in cyberspace. These information would be there for eternity.

I was ask about the digital divide and the safety of the young in the Internet. I told them if children are given the proper education with love in their home, the children would not abuse the uses of the Internet. I told them I have no problems with our grandchildren on this aspect. Children are always curious for that is their nature in growing up. Like us adult they want to know so do not shut them up but find a way out like do not place the computer in a room but instead place it in an open area where everyone who passes by could always pop in to see what the grands do in cyberspace. It all with the culture of parenting. If it is done the right way, children would grow up with the right value and norms. I also emphasis that it is the the duty of the parents of the grandchildren to handle their children and I am indeed happy of the way our children educate their children [our grandchildren]. Grandparents should not interfered in the up bringing of their grandchildren, but do play an active role in their live. Always be there when they needed you most. Give them all the loves. The rest would come naturally.

On the generation gap that was brought up by a young lady on the show. She complain on her communication problem with her grandma. I spoke of the digital divide and the need to explain to the grandma in a language they understood. Grandparents that are not savvy on the Internet would never appreciate this new technology. I said that she must do some research and find what are the liking and dislike of her grandma. Always remember before embarking any project first to do research to back up your project. Treat the communication problem with the grandma as a project. For example grandmas normally love to cooks. Why not take photo of her cooking and then download it onto the laptop. The next time when she see the grandma, show her that and believe me her grandma would be delighted to see all those images of her foods in the computer. Now she would start to understand what the computer could do. It is a start to get her interest. And then work from there. I explained that it is not going to be that easy to do but it could be done.

I quote an example to her of how my spouse [Nenek] and our grandson first got to teach each other about computer. It all started when this grandson was just two years old when we were living in Boston,US. Nenek [grandma] at that time was totally illiterate on computer. But because the grandchild of two years old could not operate the computer on his own, like switching on and off. This part got the Nenek to know the working mechanism of the computer. Soon Nenek learn what a mouse and cursor is and at the same time when the grandchild start to use the computer, like on how to use Window, the grandson would start asking this and that which he did not know and soon the learning went both ways, from the two years old grandson to the Nenek and vice versa. So with that the gap between the third generation and the first generation soon get closer and closer. From then onward it became second nature for both the two years grandson and the Nenek. In our family we the Grands, our children and now our grandchildren communicate very well indeed. the communication channel is always open. Even today this grandson of mine, now eleven introduce new happening in cyberspace to me. In a way I am learning from him.

One a question by the host of the show whether there are moment I wanted to tell the grandchildren of the things that they should know, I said that I would blog about good values and love. Since I believe all my grandchildren are computer savvy, they do read my blog from time to time. Thus I hope they get whatever message that I wanted to get across to the present generation which includes them. That my friends is the way I do get important message about 'the birds and the bees' to my loved one.

I hope the narrative above do justice to the real happening of the show that day. It is not like watching the real show. I hope there is a repeat of this program and I shall keep blogger inform when I get any news of this. Once again thanks to all at TV9 for giving me the opportunity to contributes my thoughts in the show that day in October 2007.

In the meantime friends keep blogging and have a great time doing it. Take care.

Note: the above images was taken by our eldest granddaughter during the live broadcast of the show - click to enlarge.

15 comments:

  1. pak idrus,
    Well said. What you did spoke volume of the wisdom of the elderly bloggers. We blog with responsibility and with respect to others.
    Our future generations can learn from their elders. There is no need to reinvent the wheel any more since it is already there. Just improve on it and see how to use it the best way.
    High time more elderly people embrace the internet as a mean of communication that will reduce the geographical divide. Via the internet, distance is not a constrain anymore.

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  2. zawi, thanks for the visit and supporting my thoughts on the important of the Internet especially blogging. More must be done to get people of our age group to blog. We all have so much to share with the present generation and if not done using the present technology, it would just go to waste.

    Maybe we should think of getting the authority to conduct seminar on the subject of blogging and its effect on nation building. Have a nice day.

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  4. Anonymous6:30 pm

    Assalamualaikum

    I'm very fresh around here. I saw you on TV (I was on my raya vacation that day) and visited your blog site. Well, you really gave me the meaning of how a blog should be: not just a place where people say stuffs. I am not from your generation, in fact i'm barely twenty. I can see what do you mean about difference in generation doesn't cancel the responsibility in spreading out the knowledge we have in our mind, especially when people from your generation have vast experience of the previous years that i don't have the opportunity face. I am a student and i rarely online, but i think i should start with my own blog.(",).

    By the way, you look great on TV. Have a nice day.
    Akmal, UIAPJ.

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  5. Akmal, thanks for the visit and the kind words. First I am indeed glad to get a feedback from someone who saw the talk show. In that short period of times I tried to give as much and am glad that you got the message loud and clear.

    You are from the generation of my grandchildren, a generation that was born and grew up during the time of our TDM, to me the father of modern Malaysia. A generation that are indeed lucky to have everything that a citizen need to improve oneself.

    Most of my generation are the first grandpa and grandma who had education and literate. So we are able to pass down to your generation things that we got first hand. As you know history books are never hundred percent right. History is the product of the victor.

    I am trying to pass on whatever I could, in a way of giving back to the society that gave me so much.

    Do blog. In a way it help to do creative writing. Have a nice day and take care.

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  6. Asslamualaikum.

    Thanks a lot Pak. I am now officially a blogger. Do visit my blog (",). http://wiseup88.blogspot.com/

    Thanks for your support. Have a nice day.

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  7. akmal, thanks for the return visit and I am indeed glad that you are a blogger now. We are in the twenty-first century and if we are to succeed we have to have a twenty-first century mind as well. Have a nice day and take care.

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  8. Excellent comments, Pak Idrus. I especially like your emphasis on using the internet and blogging to bridge the generation gap. Most of our young in today's fast progressive world of science and technology view life and what it brings so differently from the old days when relationships, family, moral and bsic human values matter. If blogging serves to slow them down to consider what they are missing out on, why not. I congratulation you again on your contribution, Pak Idrus. Take care. :) By the way, someone commented on your looks, I have to agree. You cannot be 68! No grey hair, nor wrinkled hands!

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  9. rita, thanks for the visit, the knowledgeable comments and the kind words. I am indeed happy that many including you agreed with my views.

    The present generation especially Malaysian has quantum leaped to the first world and as such had to adjust to its culture without comprising of its rich tradition and other cultural values.

    Together we blogger could do our bits in moulding a better society of this generation. Have a nice day and take care.

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  10. correction, the word comprising should read compromising. thanks.

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  11. salam pak idrus,

    if you have announce on your in-passing, surely i would watch it during the raya ketiga.

    i found it through Rocky's, yesterday (after 2 weeks not being online).

    from your appearance on the Mainstream TV, the least i can say that bloggers are now recognised and not being treated as 'demons' on the other form mainstream media.

    and another thing, it shows that age may NEVER be put into account on computer illiterates among senior citizens.

    thanks.

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  12. mutalib, thanks for the visit and those kind words. We have to take one step a time. This is a new technology and as usual it takes time for the authority to understand it.

    It is here to stay. Blogging and You tube are the new media for the dissemination of information to the masses.

    Let us cross one bridge first and takes it from there. Have a nice day and take care.

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  13. when i read abt the nenek and grandson para, its reminded me of my son and me....i learned a lot from him though ....i wish i watched you on tv that day...

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  15. zaitgha, thanks for the visit and the comments. Yes I too do learn a lot from my grands. Never underestimate the knowledge these kids have. Their minds are like sponge and absorbed what ever they see especially on TV and what they heard including from us.

    On TV that day I related my experiences with another grandson who is just five years old. Azib is his name. He ask me why we did not fight the British and said that if he was born at that time he would have fought. I ask him how since we only had the Keris. He said that he would kill one enemy and take his gun and would fight. I was actually shock to hear what he said but accept the facts that he saw all these fights on TV and computer games.

    I had to come with an answer quickly. I told him we need knowledge to use technology and he first has to go to school. I told him that with knowledge he could improve his Keris with laser. He just laugh and of course ask more questions. Well, that is the present kids, they are a better species of human then we are.

    Its good to listen to them. By the time you become a Nenek yourself you would have plenty of questions to answer. So be prepared. Have a nice day and take care.

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