Life is reduced to bytes.
Perhaps reduced makes it sound so derogatory, maybe I should use Life = Bytes, in an equation that people can understand. But, with technology being so infused in our daily routines, I wouldn't be surprised if you've already came up with that equation.
Imagine the joy and pride as a baby takes his or her first steps. 50 years ago, parents could only take black and white photographs and store them in huge photo albums, which would be periodically pulled out and gushed over during family gatherings.
Then came color photographs, and while some may have posted photos of first steps to a significant person, the act of recording memories didn't change much.
Till now. The ways of recording significant events like first steps or First-Month birthday celebrations or 21st Birthdays are endless. You could use a camcorder to record, and then transfer to the computer, to be either uploaded or burned onto a disc. Discs could be then passed to family members or friends for viewing pleasure. The video could be uploaded to file sharing sites [a quick search would reveal more than 50] from which, the link can be forwarded, or if the file is not that big, could be sent via email, where it can be kept virtually forever.
But why stop at just a video? Cameras are aplenty now, both in mobile phones and its original form. Just a few clicks and the priceless expression of the child taking his or her first steps can be shared instantaneously. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), Bluetooth, Infrared, and the list goes on and on, with regards to sharing the images.
And still it doesn't stop there. Unlike days of yore, where good quality pictures could be only be obtained from photo printing shops, one is able to purchase a decent printer and print out images of the same quality as printing shops.
But why print? Just save the Earth and get a digital photo frame that allows you to keep several images in it, like a slide show, except you don't need a projector or the computer to be on 24/7.
And so there you have it. A baby taking his or her first steps, of which is readily converted to mere bytes. Images only a few kilobytes, while videos would be several megabytes.
Now seriously, who doesn't take photos when meeting up or celebrating special events?
There would come a day, when instead of mother and child sitting on the sofa flipping through photo albums, they're sitting at the sofa watching a photo slide show on their television monitor. Or maybe a home made video instead. On Youtube.
That day draws nigh.
