Your blog in a hundred years' time

Let your imagination soar! Do you believe it is possible that the post you have just saved on your website... Why not? Modern technology enabled mankind to make an immeasurable amount of data available on the internet. What happens to all this information? Does anyone ever housekeep this vast and ever-growing network of interconnected computer networks? Of course, every server has its lifespan and needs to be replaced at some point, but many servers have backup tapes and any information accessible on the worldwide web can be multiplied. By the time the original 'copy' is deleted, there will have been hundreds of replicas; therefore it is quite imaginable that your blog will survive the century. Our modern history is being recorded almost in real-time on the internet. In a hundred years' time this immense quantity of data will be the source of historical research. We can also anticipate that the offsprings of our great grandchildren will show interest in ancient blog archives. Think twice before pressing the 'publish' button to avoid misinforming future generations. Will they understand why so many people spent precious hours of their time writing blogs? Let's hope the answer is yes and be self-assured enough to say they will find valuable content and have a good time reading it in 2109.

Positive side effects?

Nobody knows how many people would fall victim of the global crisis, not to mention the magnifying effects of the Hungarian recession we had already felt before the worldwide avalanche started. One of the inevitable consequences of the present economic and social situation in Hungary is that individuals learn to look after themselves and to take responsibility. Limited choices remain when we can no longer expect the government and our social systems to ensure our lifelong existence and contribute to our relative well-being: protest, fall or adapt. Learning to make long-term future plans, thinking actively about the years ahead trying to find the narrow window of opportunity in today’s turmoil are the options for the ones who choose to look ahead.

How does your government perform in the ongoing global crisis?

Are you satisfied with the suggestions the political elite in your country has to offer? Do they fill you with confidence or do they discourage you? It is not easy for an ordinary citizen like me to assess how critical the situation is. What I know is that we are in trouble. But how deep? I hear the word 'crisis' every day and it starts loosing its meaning - like the images of massacres and car bomb explosions on the news - I am getting used to it. At the same time, I keep reminding myself to stay alert because what is happening now is likely to change our future. I believe the Hungarian politicians fail the people they are entrusted to represent. There is no chance in our country that the opposition party (Fidesz, ex-PM Viktor Orbán) and the socialists (MSZP, PM Ferenc Gyurcsány) set aside own agendas and unite their political power for the good of the nation. They can afford to go down the good old path putting political survival ahead of common interests because Hungary is the home of no consequences. Of course, consequences will follow and the price the people pay will be high, maybe higher than ever... we will know soon enough.

Global financial and economic crisis

We live in times of sweeping change and uncertainty. I doubt anyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel - many do not even know which tunnel they are in... Nouriel Roubini (Professor of Economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University) has predicted the crisis well in advance and was ignored for a long time, but has now become a recognized world-class economist. His predictions are still pessimistic, in his latest interview he talks about the temporary nationalization of insolvent US banks and the growing risks Europe's banking system needs to face as emerging economies - including Hungary - move closer to bankruptcy. I am afraid the worst has yet to come, and this is going to be a permanent recession that we will have to adapt to.

Save energy, turn off your mobile!

Mobile phones have become part of our life in a matter of years. Our mobile is with us wherever we go and most of us never turn it off. There are professions where immediate availability is necessary, but the vast majority of mobile phone users are ordinary people. Many Hungarian children become happy mobile owners during their kindergarten years and learn to use cell phones before learning to read. I heard stories of teachers complaining about parents who call their children at school when they are still in class. I’m more than sure that these parents use this gift of modern technology to compensate for something – maybe for the time they failed to spend with their kids for various reasons. Have you ever thought about what you might miss or gain when you are not hooked up to any satellite? The first time I bitterly regretted having a mobile was when my boss gave me a ring while I was on holiday to say they desperately need me at work the day after. Of course, it turned out to be a false alarm, but – since I’m a man who can learn from his mistakes – it made me think and eventually realize that mobile phones are overused. If you have read this far and still do not totally disagree you might want to consider this: use mobile phones only when necessary, cut the conversations short, turn it off when you go to sleep. My special gift for those of you who are still online is a brain-teaser: 2455 2546866 The numbers hide the name of an American politician. Hint: Mick Jagger = 6425 524437 Have you got your mobile with you? Good luck!