Archive:Stories: Difference between revisions

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+{{cquote|Having an engineer for a father, one who'd tear up every appliance before giving up and calling the customer support [and sometimes succeeding, to his credit], an engineer's curiosity was my inheritance. The only reason why I don't have much of my childhood toys is this curiosity.
+Then one day dad bought home a PC. It cost $200 at that time [2002, I guess]. It, with its dial-up internet did not last long. The real stuff began when we bought a far better PC in 2004 [This one was for $800 that time]. Along with it came broadband internet, which finally allowed me to freely surf without counting the number of minutes that passed by.
+That's when I found Google. Googling for anything was almost sure to yield a page from a funny site called Wikipedia. It would have no ads, no sign-ups, no membership. When I clicked on it, I got what I wanted.
+Here was a place that told me something about everything. It was just brilliant. More so when I later came to know about the concept of a wiki, and sharing, and open source.
+Wikipedia is a result of human potential at its best. It is a proof of what we can do, when we're trusted with power. It is one of the finest tributes to collective human potential.
+To every kid in every city without access to books, or the means to get them, or the time, Wikipedia, you are a lifesaver. I can't keep track of the number of pages I read here everyday.
+Wikipedia is a story that creates stories everywhere. It is a fire, which tends a spark, wherever in the world it may be.
+I may just be a student now, but inside, I'm a lot more, thanks to you. If and when I do something to be proud of, Wikipedia will have contributed to that almost as much as my parents.
+Wikipedia is just not an encyclopedia. It's changing lives. Everywhere.
+I wish I could donate now. But it's just a matter of a few years through college, and I'll be able to start repaying Wikipedia some portion of the debt I owe it.
+I also appeal to governments around the world to contribute 0.1% of their arms budget to Wikipedia.
+Trust me, if and when Vulcans make the first contact, it will be Wikipedia, and not a Glock, that you'd flaunt to showcase human achievement.}}
+<hr>
 {{cquote|I am a freelance composer and currently working toward a PhD in the Arts. As a researcher and instructor, Wikipedia has helped me to do my job/s quickly and efficiently. It's a fantastic teaching tool; if there's a question about facts, I have my students look it up right there during class time - so they get the feel for looking things up on their own, while we get the information we need right away.