paradox of our time

I found this piece in an old magazine with papers torn and ragged. I was about to throw the heap when suddenly this article caught my eyes. It is powerful enough to make us think twice; to make us remember something we so often forget easily. It is strong enough, if contemplated, to review the pile of contrasts that we have created and forcefully dumped at the backyards of our homes, and then deliberately neglected in the run for life, livelihood, etc. It goes:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less well being.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We have learned how to make a living, but not a life. We have added years to life, not life to years. We have been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour. We have conquered outer space, but not inner space; we have cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We have split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we have become long on quantity, but short on quality. These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.

beware of -ware - II

Greenware: A type of otherware which requests the user to help the environment to "register" the software.
Guiltware: A piece of freeware decorated with a message telling one how long and hard the author worked on it and intimating that one is a no-good freeloader if one does not immediately send the poor suffering martyr gobs of money.
Hardware: Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware.
Liveware / Meatware / Wetware: Human beings (programmers, operators, administrators) attached to a computer system, as opposed to the system's hardware or software.
Malware: Malicious software intended to cause consequences the unwitting user would not choose; especially by use of virus or Trojan horse.
Otherware / Requestware: It is a collective term referring to software that is not distributed as freeware, shareware or commercial software.
Payware: Commercial software.
Postcardware: A kind of shareware that borders on freeware, in that the author requests only that satisfied users send a postcard of their home town or something.
Psychedelicware: A program with the same approximate purpose as a kaleidoscope: to make pretty pictures.
Ransomware: Software offered as open source in exchange for payment.
Registerware: Refers to computer software which requires the user to give personal information through registration in order to download or use the program.
Shareware: A kind of freeware for which the author requests some payment, usually in the accompanying documentation files or in an announcement made by the software itself. Such payment may or may not buy additional support or functionality.
Sheflware: Software purchased on a whim (by an individual user) or in accordance with policy (by a corporation or government agency), but not actually required for any particular use. Therefore, it often ends up on some shelf.
Shovelware: A slipshod compilation of software dumped onto a CD-ROM without much care for organization or even usability.
Software: software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform some task on a computer system.
Spyware: Software which, when installed by a user insufficiently enlightened to avoid it, enables third parties to snoop the user's hard drive or monitor their network transactions.
Treeware: Printouts, books, and other information media made from pulped dead trees.
Vaporware: Products announced far in advance of any release (which may or may not actually take place).

A good glossary of computer terms is found here.