Unplugged, but not offline
By Erica Hill
CNN Headline News
(CNN) -- Seven years on the technology beat, and all of them memorable.
I was fortunate enough to watch the rise of "The Dot Com Boom" and be a part of it. I saw it fall, and experienced the gloom -- and optimism -- in the aftermath.
I learned to look for the tech angle in every story. We looked beyond the circuit boards and semiconductors, trying to make the most mundane and routine task appear in a new way, with new complexity and character -- to celebrate the minds that created these wonders and make them all a bit more human.
I worked alongside some of the brightest, funniest, kindest people in this world and met some amazing minds along the way.
As 2004 comes to a close, so does my time on the tech beat. As I type this final column, I think back to my favorite stories.
In May 2002, I worked with an incredible team of people on a special about the controversy and the questions surrounding embryonic stem-cell research. The people I met on both sides of the debate were incredible -- bright, informed, and each convinced that their path was the right one.
I witnessed amazing research. Mice once paralyzed by spinal cord injuries now walking, a woman injured in a diving accident at 17 living her life with more energy, independence and joy -- even without the use of her limbs -- than many people do in 71 years.
I met "geeks" from all walks of life -- rock stars and movie stars, moms, kids, grandparents, teachers -- all doing more and doing it better with the technologies they adapted. Then there were those who lived and breathed technology at work, only to return to a home without it so they could truly have a break.
We all saw technology evolve over the past seven years. Our cell phones, the Internet, digital audio and video may not have the same "wow" factor they did in the '90s, but the advancements continue, and I would venture to say your appreciation for the technology does as well.
It's amazing how mainstream many things have become -- and how quickly! The first cell phones -- the "brick" -- hit the market in 1983. Two decades later, it seems everyone has one. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association puts the number near 60 percent of the U.S. population, and we couldn't imagine life without a cell phone.
As I unplug from this role, I urge you to keep looking for the "wow" factor and to remember all the technology and geeks you've met along the way who have made your life richer, perhaps more efficient, and hopefully a little easier.
Have a wonderful start to your New Year, and thanks for spending some time with me.
