OneWebDay on Sept. 22, 2009 is indeed history in the making for the Philippines and for all the 24 million Filipino internet users, whose interests PIUS represents.

It’s your ‘TYPE’ that’s it.

We therefore call on every Internet user to join us in celebrating the OneWebDay by contributing your share in teaching others how to use a computer and access the Internet.

Be part of history in the making because we are celebrating OneWebDay for the first time in the Philippines. Although there are lofty reasons why we celebrate it, but we are celebrating on the same date as other countries mainly because of what is called QWERTY logic, which means you have no choice but to follow an emerging international convention.

QWERTY represents the first six letters from the left of the top row of letters on a typewriter. It was designed and patented by Christopher Sholes in 1874 and sold to E. Remington & Sons in the same year, when it first appeared in typewriters. Legend has it that QWERTY was designed as you could type the word “Typewriter” with your fingers not ever leaving the top row of letters.

Better but not practical.

Actually, there are better systems of letter arrangements like the Dvorak keyboard, which you can check from the Internet. Unlike the QWERTY, which can type only 100 words without ever leaving the home row or middle row, the Dvorak keyboard boasts of 400 words, or four times the QWERTY system.

Theoretically, typing using the Dvorak system is supposedly more efficient, but because it would take too much trouble unlearning the old system, what more learning a new one, people stuck with QWERTY.

QWERTY has thus symbolized the power of the original, or the influence of who can claim it first. We thus give credit to Susan Crawford for being the originator of OneWebDay, which she set up in 2006. Since then, more and more cities and countries have joined this annual celebration every Sept. 22. This year, about 50 cities and countries are joining the celebration.

Take your pick, but you only have one choice.

Should the Philippines choose its own date to celebrate the Internet Day? You may pick your own date, but actually you only have one choice. According to QWERTY logic, choosing otherwise would be going against the tide, or going out of the groove, or singing out of tune, or whatever cliché you may have. QWERTY logic says, you just have to follow this emerging convention.

Similarly, we cannot hold our own date for Labor Day other than May 1, or our own Valentine’s Day other than Feb. 14, or celebrate our own Christmas day, other than December 25. We have no choice but to follow not only a social convention, but a global convention.

The same goes with various products of different brands, which have eventually harmonized themselves throughout history into common standards and specifications. Any new brand follows the standards. Imagine, if every product brand name of a stereo component had their different respective sizes of batteries, plugs, cassette tapes, or compact discs. It would be a total nightmare to consumers or users.

In short, nobody goes against QWERTY logic. Thus, for all internet users, take pride in being part of this band wagon QWERTY gravitational pull, because you are helping make history with us for the Philippines.