HEAD OR TAIL, TECHNOLOGY RULES THE FUTURE. GET EQUIPPED, IT SOOTHES MORE THAN IT HURTS.



As much as I want to celebrate the power digital tools hold, (the power of Technology) to connect, empower, and transform lives, how the next generation of Girls everywhere and future leaders can benefit and thrive by technology and thereby narrow down the gender digital divide, I cannot but also talk about the challenges posed by complacency, ignorance and the substitution effects of robots over human resources and that of digital over analogue that's labour laden and therefore reduce employment problem. 



Some years back to be precised in 1987, I needed to develop a script for my first fiction and I knew it was going to take me through typing a whole lot in my mother tongue, Yoruba. That alone had constituted a great challenge bcos, of a truth, most of the keyboards were designed after the English alphabets. Even if my script was to be composed in English letters, I was not computer literate, not to talk of knowing how I would get it typed out in my own language by myself in other to preserve my story privately till I formally publish it and launch it to the public.  As hard as I tried to, I didn't achieve it, bcos I was an illiterate, Technologically. I could not use the computers not to talk of typing out my script myself.  I had to look for a publisher to do it for me at a greater cost and I found one.  Yes I did, but instead of the one I found to work according to our terms and conditions, he reaped me off.  He got the script printed out, to keys and signs. He got published and distributed to Bookshelves from which he made sales with testimonies. I had evidence of all that, because everyone in our community, in need, that knew me approached me for financial assistance. After all I am an Author of reviewed and listed Books.  That was right, but, my publisher wasn't delivering my royalties as agreed.  He was busy enriching himself and that attitude continued till I found Technology and accessed it.  I enrolled at a private computer school, paid the fees, but the Director of the school, for reasons known to him, refused to open the beginners' class for me. He later refunded my money which I used to purchase a personal computer system, desktop, and I started on a self training icon with Mavis Beacon Typing.  Within a few days I mastered about 25 words per minute and about four weeks, I was on 40wpm. That was how I became an independent typist and I was doing my typing myself.  I got myself the more challenging Yoruba Switzerland and RomanB fonts and installed the two on my laptop, in a matter of months, I was almost an Experté in using these fonts on my PC.  Two or three years after, I got an opportunity to Bloom App Software training for upcoming Language Writers, powered by Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), facilitated by Paul Frank of SIL LEAD. Inc and anchored by Federal Ministry of Education, supported by Global Book Alliance (GBA), in April 2018, with special Aid from USAID.  The little knowledge of ICT I had and the skills I have acquired from Microsoft Words through self efforts had greatly assisted me to cope with the Bloom App Software Workshop on Books Development and by the software I published a Book, fiction, titled "My Fabulous Mother". The Script Development, exploration of Photoshop of Graphics Arts Impression which I employed to illustrate the stories in the Book without necessarily engaging the services of an Artist, as I usually did in the previous publications, enabled me to save some costs of production. This was made possible by advent of Technology that's going to rule the world in no distance a time from now and beginning from this moment.  Since my mastery of and usage of the Computer, Microsoft Words, Words Processing, CRD, Power Point Projector and Excel Spreadsheets, I have become an semi-expert in Typesetting, Books Pictorial Illustrator and subsequently, a Publisher of my Books and I also develop and publish books for clients with monetary terms and cash conditions.  Let me just say, I am making a living from Script Development, Typesetting and Books Publishing; this I do as additional Vocation.  Without gainsaying, Technology is stealing the whole show.  I am a step ahead of my colleagues in the office for I can work independently of other Office Aids such as the secretary typists and computer operators.  During the COVID-19 pandemic Stay at home period, once, I appear at the EXCO Meetings of Council, I accomplished the remaining part of my assignment from my private library at home using my personal computer. That has greatly assisted me to achieve a lot with less stress. I work, mostly from home and by so doing, I infested my Senior Colleagues Technologically. All who would need the reports of the meeting to accomplish their missions in community development and communication were compelled to  upgrade their smartphones, Notepads and androids to comply with downloads of applications that could make reading of various reports possible.  This Technical modules operandi has also made conserving the sensitive reports possible and confined same strictly to Stakeholders.  This had saved my establishment the cost of papers use in the usual unnecessary printing of pages of report that would later find it way to the roasted corn and groundnuts sellers the next day as makeshift packs. And also, those who are less directly concerned and (sometimes political oppositions) no longer have express access to sensitive reports that could trigger or instigate unnecessary chaos within the community.  Fine, prints media is still good and may not easily get corrupt like computer system that's prone to virus, but that too were sidelined by Clouds Safety.  I back my sensitive information up by sending copies to a special mailbox created for that purpose and keep the password within a circle. If flimsies were to be filed, I do the printing, privately and shred the wastes, if there's any.  All that are made possible with Technology. 



However, if all the Officers could be Technologically equipped, there would be no much job for the Copy Typists, and All Computer Operators may have to step up to becoming Maintenance Engineers, if not, they may lose their jobs, in most cases, to robots. That is where technology hurts.  But on the contrary, this would mean that the Curriculum Development Department reappraise the Course   contents and directions.  Generally, Technology is Still the Best. If placed in the hands of girls and is made accessible to them, I can see it as the future of all Development and a sinequanon of Developed future; as opposed to the analogy state of most of Underdeveloped and the so called Developing Economy.  Unfortunately though, most girls are overwhelmed with youthful exuberance engage unprofitable exercises with the knowledge of ICT they are exposed to and the equipped with.  A lot of societal vices are copied from the usage of technology and pasted on the wall of their minds to corrupt the minds.  Despite the hurting effects of technology, it's acquisition is still better in than relinquishion.  Food is good and imperative, man cannot because of defecation shun it's consumption



Technology Rules the future, Head and Tail. 

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