Saratoga News How a Web page turned me into what I had feared most It seemed like the ultimate waste of time By Patrick Chen I promised myself I wouldn't do it. "A sin against sins," I said. I told myself I would never become one of those typical pale-faced computer geeks. But alas, I've done the unthinkable. A few weeks ago, I, Patrick Chen, made my own Web page. Although this might seem trivial, it is a serious matter to me. Prior to my Web page submission, I had been an adamant Web page opponent. The idea of working day and night on something that a total of probably five people would see made absolutely no sense to me. I thought of it as the ultimate waste of time that only someone as twisted and self-absorbed as Bill Gates could enjoy. I have seen what it has done to my friends, their youth wasted away by the calling of their own Web pages. Maybe I'm being a tad dramatic, but as fate would have it, I have turned into what I feared most. I have become the freak with the computer attached at the hip. How did it happen? A few months ago, my biology teacher assigned us a Web page project. We were to incorporate our scientific knowledge of an organism of our choice with today's Internet technology. And so my partner and I went about making a Web page about the deep-sea anglerfish. Despite my apprehension about Web pages, and deep-sea anglerfish for that matter, I persevered because my grade depended on it. I put aside all fears and set myself to work. My partner and I toiled for days until our page was perfect. And in the end, I would have to say that I was actually proud of what we had done. It actually brought a smile to my face to see our Web page. To think, just a few weeks ago, I was denouncing my 20-year-old sister because she had gone and made one herself. But as I created a page, my outlook changed, and it didn't seem all that crazy to me anymore. I suppose you could say that the idea of a Web page slowly grew on me. But I believe there is much more logic to it than that. I'm pretty sure the main reason why people make these sites is just to show everyone how great they really are (well, at least that's a big part of why I made mine). Making a Web page is an excellent way to put your entire personality into a neat Internet-accessible nutshell. Whoever visits your page will be able to get a basic understanding of what kind of person you are. And this is what is so great about Web pages. There's really no limit to how I want people to think of me. If I put a bunch of football pictures on my page, people might think that I'm a sports jock. Or if I put instructions for making mail bombs, people might think I'm the next Unabomber. Whatever I want to be, I can become. But despite this opportunity to become someone else, I want my Web site to fully characterize who I really am: the guy who worships the television show Boy Meets World, who skateboards in his free time and has the greatest of friends. If you visit my Web page, this is exactly who you'll see. Another part of the psyche of the Web page maker is the chance for worldwide exposure. There's something about the fact that millions of people could (and I emphasize "could") be looking at something you made that draws people to make Web pages. The more I think about it, the more I love the possibility. A little boy in Taiwan could be admiring the pictures of me and my friends on my page. Or a senior citizen in South Africa could be reading up on the Chinese restaurants I frequent. The possibilities are endless. A few years ago, I only knew one person who had his own Web page. But now it seems like all of my friends have one. And I think this is a prime reason as to why I made mine. Although I hate to say something so clichéd about myself, it's true; everybody's doing it, so I did it as well. Technology has just become so user-friendly these days; any old Joe can have his own Web page. And in addition to the ease of making my page, I guess what tipped the scale was the fact that my sister, the most computer-inept person I know, had a Web page and I didn't. What a thought! Well, I certainly couldn't let my sister one-up me this time. I think, in general, making a Web page is just something to do. On an episode of Felicity, a show about the vicissitudes of college life, one of the characters was asked why he had a Web page. I think his argument pretty much hits the heart of the matter. He said something to the effect of "the same reason why anyone has one: too much time ... ." So, I actually made a Web page. I'm trying to accept that fact. I think all of my reasoning is just a way to make myself feel better about the way I gave in. But in all seriousness, I just couldn't help myself. It's like some inevitable force of nature that no one can control. Don't have a Web page? You will soon. My Web page is at: members.aol.com/wetwillyp/page/index.htm. Patrick Chen is a junior at Saratoga High School. He is editor of the Lifestyles Section of the "Saratoga Falcon," the SHS newspaper. YouthTalk invites all Saratoga youth, 18 and under, to express their views in YouthTalk. Topics are as limitless as your imagination. Columns should be 950 words. For deadlines or more information, contact Saratoga News editor Dale Bryant, 354-3110, ext. 31, or on email, dbryant@sjmetro.com. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 30, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.