Spice of life: Hard work the only shortcut to success

As the world celebrates World Wide Web Day on August 1, it is time to acknowledge that what we take for granted is actually an incredible powerful invention

The plan of action for our research seminar was simple: Share questions with friends before hand, read out the paper studiously, answer the queries and wait for the nod from the head of the department with fingers crossed.

Instead of running around to secure a text, one can order at competitive price or purchase an e-book.

The teacher after all is a teacher. The first question would be on the sources. Not only the journal but where in the library? We would spend entire afternoons slogging it out in the journals section, rummaging the mammoth volumes and scrolling the thesis section. We subscribed to membership of British/American Council Library and made numerous trips for relevant reference material. A few went as far as the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), now English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad. We would run from this library to that to secure a text, read and re-read it, quoting a critic here and a text there.

The scenario changed in the ’90s with the introduction of the World Wide Web i.e. www by Tim Berners-Lee. Conceived as a universal-linked information system with the aim, “Let’s share what we know”, it enables content sharing over the internet. The underlying aim was to facilitate efficient knowledge dissemination worldwide by creating an accessible platform through HTML, URI, HTTP. In simple words World Wide Web, www refers to websites a user can access: Texts, images, audios, videos, all formats. A user has to type a search in the browser, click and you find the exact information you are looking for! It means a deluge of information.

www has become an integral part of our day-to-day life and has changed the way we share information. It has revolutionised education by offering an enormous repository of information on almost any topic imaginable. Users can access academic papers, research, news articles, tutorials, and much more. Instead of running around to secure a text, one can order at competitive price or purchase an e-book. The convenience, rapid impact and global connectivity are an added benefit.

On the flip side, the abundance of information available and the sheer volume of data are overwhelming. The present generation is vulnerable and falls prey to misinformation as it can be challenging to determine the accuracy, reliability and relevance of the information.

In the age of AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning), it is difficult to distinguish the real and the fabricated. Moreover, the addictive nature can lead to excessive screen time and a decline in physical and mental well-being. The craze of buying books is on the decline. My fellow teachers would corroborate my experience that post-graduate students don’t read the texts, be it a massive novel or a novella. Assignments are more often a smart copy and paste. The spirited ones issue commands and voila ChatGPT doles out the needful.

As the world celebrates World Wide Web Day on August 1, it is time to acknowledge that what we take for granted is actually an incredible powerful invention, yet there is no shortcut to success, only hard work. kalrasuruchi@yahoo.com

The writer is an associate professor at Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri