Email at birth -- what's the BIG DEAL, babe?

I today boldly comment on a small, wee bit of NEWS, as headlined E-mail soon for Perak newborns, page 3 in THe Star of June 1, 2005, DESIDERATA reproduces here the relevant paras for discussion on a morn I'm very charitable with my time for the babes! Hey, after your mUM has read this to you, pls drop me a quickie E-male or E-Female eh!?

IPOH: Soon, newborns in Perak will not only be given birth certificates, but also e-mail addresses.

In what could probably be the first such plan in the country, the state will embark on an E-mail 4 All project under its information communications technology (ICT) blueprint.

Chairman of the state Education, Human Resource and ICT committee Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the plan would provide lifelong e-mail addresses to all newborns.
"We are working with the National Registration Department to provide these e-mail addresses for all newborns," he said.

"The move will push parents into the ICT age because they will have to learn how to use the e-mail for their newborns," he added.

Desiderata feels, suddenly someone is going to perk uup the National Registration Department -- but with more work that has no immediate use or function, and minimum gestation period of maybe 7 years before the targets (babies!) even start primary school. Yes, some precocious babes might open their e-mails at age 3, but Malaysia still has a long way to go to produce its first Nobel Prize winner!

Desiderata: From my own personal experience, anyone who opens an Email account would do so if he/she wants to activate it for use immediately or SOON, VERY, VERY SOON! AND FURTHER, WE CHANGE OUR E-MAIL ADDRESSES AS OFTEN AS WE LIKE TO OUR PERSONAL WHIM AND FANCY!

Maybe the good Datuk Dr might prioritise its activities like minimising "spelling" mistakes, speeding up registration or issuance of certain "primary" documents, with the top priority to SECURITY. In its infancy, the MY-KAD aleady has found many clones -- please solve this problem and leave the Perak initiatives to its own cradle.

The Emails can wait until the child grows up to at leat primary schooling age! Hey, parents have to be reminded that meantime, ONE HAS TO RESPECT THE CHILD'S PRIVACY AND SHOULD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES OPEN OR OPERTAE THE CHILD'S EMAIL ACCOUNT ON HIS/HER BEHALF!


I'm all for encouraging adults to venture into Email usen-- that's a separate issue, and requires a different approach. Let's not burden the NRD further! I have done that at a personal level -- it's the hurdle of clearing the MENTAL BLOCK that's the chief impediment. Maybe this is an activity all neighbourhood education bodies all implement. FORGE THE BABES -- Let them grow up in good time.

My advice to the National Registration Department -- just ignore the Dr Zamry's bright idea -- LET IT BE STILLBORN!