Many things we do depend on getting information from others. Pick up a train, call a phone call and go to the cinema all related to information stored, processed and contacted. In the past, this information was kept on paper or in forms such as books, newspapers or schedules. Now more and more information is put into computers. Computers play an important role in our daily lives. Think about using computers in shops and offices. Big stores, especially chain stores with branches all over the country, have to deal with a great deal of information. They have to make sure that there are enough goods on the shelves for customers to buy, they must be able to order more before they run out, decide which ones are selling and so on. All these processes are done quickly and efficiently by computers.

Computers play a huge role in the modern world. We can get an idea of how huge a role this is if we examine some of the things in the modern world that we rely on and mostly take for granted. Telecommunication, transport, banking and finance -- the most important features of the modern world -- are heavily dependent on computers in order to function. A computer failure in any of these areas can incapacitate it, and perhaps the other areas too. The consequences can be anything from inconvenience to disaster. You may have experience the inconvenience of being unable to withdraw money from a bank because its computer is 'down'. So you wait until they fix the computer and you can withdraw money again. What happens if the down time should last several days ? The inconvenience could turn to indignation for you and disaster some businesses. Can you imagine what can happen if crucial computers fail in the transport systems, for example, the airlines ? Flight schedules can be severely interrupted, passengers can miss flights or board the wrong ones, or worst of all, accidents can happen. Air-traffic controllers rely on computers to direct aircraft landing and taking off. In a busy airport, aircrafts take off and land within seconds of each other. This is clearly impossible without computers. Another area in which computers are very important is telecommunication. Today we communicate with one another via the telephone, fax machine and the Internet. The ease and speed of communication is unprecedented in the history of mankind. All we need is to press some buttons or log on to the Internet and we get to communicate instantly with each other. Physical distance matters little. Satellites, fiber optics and other devices make sure that we can communicate from the comfort of our homes, anywhere in the world as long we have the equipment to do it. Certainly this is all fantastic, but what can happen if the computers stop working, even if it were to be for a short while. Have you ever felt the exasperation of being unable to ring your friend or retrieve an email ? We are literally plunged straight back to the days of our forefathers when messages took days and weeks to reach their destination. Computers are here to stay and their importance is undeniable. In fact, they areindispensable. More and more they become part of our lives. Without computers, living will be like a hundred years ago -- no email, no ATM machines, no credit cards, no Internet and no video games. For us in this modern world, that would be unimaginable.