(ripped from my column, LA VIDA LOCA at lifestylebohol, bohol chronicle)Mcluhan’s Global Village: A Bohol Experience
Yes, I wrote about him before. It’s not that he’s my favorite (or is he?) but Marshall Mcluhan and his theories on global village and technological determinism keep on trailing behind me like a tail of sorts (ooops, as if I have one?) With technological determinism, he contended that technology is an extension of the human faculty. He talked about the wheel as an extension of the feet and the book as extension of the eyes. Today, we say that the computer and the internet have extended most of our faculties- our eyes, mouths, ears, arms, hearts, (and our entire being, that is) and enabled us to reach other people just by clicking the mouse and tinkering with the keyboard. Indeed, technology has shrunk the world into a smaller community and made interaction among world-wide neighbors more constant and immediate. The world has become Mcluhan’s global village.
Now, the tail is wiggling as I browse the internet enjoying my interaction with fellow Boholanos from all over the world in Tubag Bohol at
www.tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com. For the past few weeks, my own faculties have been extended through Tubag Bohol, which its members now call their virtual home. This addictive website created by Michael Ligalig (yes, the writer/poet Mike, who is now based in Thailand) allows its users to post and read news updates and articles of various topics from politics, education, history, culture, tourism, entertainment, and even chismis among others. And since it works as a forum, it allows users to post comments and feedback. Thus, the site’s name. Although, it does not have a chatroom, it works like one with users logging online 24/7.
Most of its users hide their real identities by using nicks and I only know a few of them in person but still Tubag Bohol is a place where I meet new friends as we exchange our thoughts and feelings about many things, debate on certain issues, talk about ourselves and other people, and share our love and pride for Bohol and its people. For my part, it also serves as my mental workout place where I can blog my thoughts.
Although Mcluhan contended that the medium is the message that leaves an impact on its user, I still believe that the message brought by the medium initiated by the user still has the greater impact on us. What I find heartwarming is how these Boholanos (wherever they are in the world) share their dreams for Bohol, our homeland. Yes, most of them may be thousands of miles away but they have found means by which they can extend their faculties and virtually return home.
Mcluhan is right. What he failed to explain is why Boholanos have the need to return home labaw na kung mosakit na ang tiyan like the giants who formed the Chocolate Hills… hehe! That’s another story!
Come, join us!
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Shrinking the world a little bit more is station DYRD, which is now on air 24/7 with a world-wide coverage through
www.dyrdam.com. It’s extending our ears allowing us to hear more stories from Bohol wherever we are in the world. Speaking from the DYRD’s end, we say, “Good morning, good afternoon, good evening to everyone!â€
Now, the global village is not just borderless but timeless as well.
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Oh, well! The internet (as well as other technology and electronic gadgets- cellphones included) may have bridged our hearts from miles away and the words and emoticons on our screens may have put smiles on our faces, but nothing can replace the real presence of friends and loved ones we miss.
Gapaabot gihapon ’ta sa ilang pag-uli…
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=3050.0
