By Kathleen Hubert17th April, 2012
Words have power. This is something that seems to be forgotten until it is forcibly driven home in the most surprising ways. If the Occupy Protest and the Arabian Spring have not driven this point home, then the power of a laptop owned by a Khmer-American has been an education that is not soon to be forgotten. By logging onto a social media site through a laptop or home computer, they are affecting changes in their home country, even those that have emigrated elsewhere. All it takes is a laptop and a few clicks to aid in a revolution.
There is almost no national media outlet for Khmer-Americans. In order to make up for this there have been a number of sites dedicated to helping them to keep in touch; the concept of the amateur journalist has been fully embraced by the community. Not only that, but a number of blogs have been set up by professionals in order to ensure that support the community only takes a few clicks on a laptop to find. Social media has been embraced as well, as Khmer-Americans check in with others to see not only what is going on in the community to also find mates, restaurants, and other places of cultural interest.
It is worth noting that the Khmer-American community has taken full advantage of online resources in order to help one another. With access to not only articles but also experts, as well as sites that allow for other resources, such as legal and financial assistance, help on a wide variety of topics are easily available for anyone with a laptop or computer.
They are not only being social, however. There is an advantage to being half a world away, as witnesses to the Killing Fields incidents have found out. Prosecutors have relied on witness testimony, where the witnesses have stepped up to a computer microphone and given their testimony. Because they are not local to case there is an element of safety; they are protected from the distance from those that would kill them for testifying. In this way they are free to describe what they saw while being free from the penalties of giving testimony someone may not like. Presumably found by use of social sites, this is yet another example of how the community has come together online to help one another.
As you can see people have a lot more power than was once thought. When finding a wifi hotspot is as easy as going to a fast food restaurant, the portable laptop has enabled anyone to write to others. No longer is history written solely by the winners, as long as the losers can write a blog. They can then use social media to let others know, possibly creating an upset. The power of the individual has been enhanced by the use of the computer, making the ability to find and communicate with allies the most powerful use of the computer, and demonstrating that every day can be a revolution.
Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at laptopcomputers.org and ledtv.org.
Words have power. This is something that seems to be forgotten until it is forcibly driven home in the most surprising ways. If the Occupy Protest and the Arabian Spring have not driven this point home, then the power of a laptop owned by a Khmer-American has been an education that is not soon to be forgotten. By logging onto a social media site through a laptop or home computer, they are affecting changes in their home country, even those that have emigrated elsewhere. All it takes is a laptop and a few clicks to aid in a revolution.
There is almost no national media outlet for Khmer-Americans. In order to make up for this there have been a number of sites dedicated to helping them to keep in touch; the concept of the amateur journalist has been fully embraced by the community. Not only that, but a number of blogs have been set up by professionals in order to ensure that support the community only takes a few clicks on a laptop to find. Social media has been embraced as well, as Khmer-Americans check in with others to see not only what is going on in the community to also find mates, restaurants, and other places of cultural interest.
It is worth noting that the Khmer-American community has taken full advantage of online resources in order to help one another. With access to not only articles but also experts, as well as sites that allow for other resources, such as legal and financial assistance, help on a wide variety of topics are easily available for anyone with a laptop or computer.
They are not only being social, however. There is an advantage to being half a world away, as witnesses to the Killing Fields incidents have found out. Prosecutors have relied on witness testimony, where the witnesses have stepped up to a computer microphone and given their testimony. Because they are not local to case there is an element of safety; they are protected from the distance from those that would kill them for testifying. In this way they are free to describe what they saw while being free from the penalties of giving testimony someone may not like. Presumably found by use of social sites, this is yet another example of how the community has come together online to help one another.
As you can see people have a lot more power than was once thought. When finding a wifi hotspot is as easy as going to a fast food restaurant, the portable laptop has enabled anyone to write to others. No longer is history written solely by the winners, as long as the losers can write a blog. They can then use social media to let others know, possibly creating an upset. The power of the individual has been enhanced by the use of the computer, making the ability to find and communicate with allies the most powerful use of the computer, and demonstrating that every day can be a revolution.
Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at laptopcomputers.org and ledtv.org.
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