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Post by AGD on Feb 8, 2023 1:21:44 GMT -5
Twenty four years ago today - this evening at about six thirty, to be precise-ish - one of the most significant events of my adult life took place. I went online for the very first time (not by choice, but the project JT & I were engaged upon required delivery by floppy disc - remember those ? - and I thought I'd take a look at this interwebnet thing). Now, to some that may seem shallow in the extreme but over the ensuing 8,767 days, so much happened that probably wouldn't have otherwise, mostly good, some outstanding, almost always interesting and occasionally dispiriting. I've been places I'd not have even considered visiting otherwise (both in the UK and abroad), made some great - no, incredible - new friends (some of whom I'll probably never meet), reconnected with some old ones and, sadly, severed some friendships I thought would last forever. In the shallow, muddy puddle that is the world of Beach Boys fandom, I've achieved both respect and notoriety in equal measure (sometimes simultaneously - good trick) and experienced some of the best and worst times of my life. I've met people I've only fantasised about meeting (and I'm not talking exclusively Beach Boys). I've also encountered some individuals who can only be described as delusional, and that's being charitable. Malicious would be closer to the point.
If I've taken one thing away from my entire 'net experience it's this: it's a tool, nothing more, and the real problem lies with those who use it. You can use a spade to dig a field and feed your family, or you can split someone's skull with it. So, with the internet. Some people simply shouldn't be allowed to go anywhere near it, but on balance, it's been a positive experience, and never fails to surprise, beguile, delight and uplift me on a daily basis. It's also caused me to waste more time than I care to think about. As a research tool, it's both unparalleled and misleading - the trick is to filter. Fake news is nothing new.
What will the 'net be like in another 24 years time, or even 5 years ? I have no idea - maybe beamed directly to the chip that's implanted in your brain at birth. I hope to be around to find out. I hope all my friends reading this will be here to experience "whatever" with me. One final observation: the 'net may inform, influence and shape but in the final analysis, it's not real life. Always remember that. |
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Post by jk on Feb 8, 2023 5:03:05 GMT -5
I believe I hit the 'net with a vengeance in the mid 1990s for my work, and some years later for my pleasure. I remember floppy disks from the office and the little disks from my primitive Atari in the 1980s, where you had to save your files onto one and save the backup onto another. And things could go horribly wrong, and they occasionally did, when the contraption began spewing nonsense and crunching files at three in the morning.
Your second paragraph says it all, really -- agreed on all counts. As for the internet not being real life, I don't know about that. Like you, it's introduced me to some wonderful people and I can't say in all fairness that they're not a part of my life "on the ground".
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Post by SMiLE-Holland on Feb 8, 2023 10:52:47 GMT -5
I believe I hit the 'net with a vengeance in the mid 1990s for my work, and some years later for my pleasure. I remember floppy disks from the office and the little disks from my primitive Atari in the 1980s, where you had to save your files onto one and save the backup onto another. And things could go horribly wrong, and they occasionally did, when the contraption began spewing nonsense and crunching files at three in the morning. Your second paragraph says it all, really -- agreed on all counts. As for the internet not being real life, I don't know about that. Like you, it's introduced me to some wonderful people and I can't say in all fairness that they're not a part of my life "on the ground". O, and even worse; my first Commodore 64 didn't even have a disc drive. Games had to be uploaded with a cassette through a data recorder. Anyone remember this sound? Ah, and tapes tend to deteriorate... the horror when after a 2-3 minute wait the game didn't start or got an error message. But I digress. Back on topic: I remember discovering the internet in 1993 I think. First year of college. And college was where one could go on the internet (didn't have it at my dorm). And college even provided us with an e-mail address. I remember discovering those first BB-web pages very well, Mike Wheeler's Cabinessence site as one of the first I think. Man, the discoveries I did at the time with the overviews of the then current bootlegs. I remember spending hours at college sending Mike new boots that weren't on his website yet. And the fun part: that webpage still exists (probably hasn't been updated in a million years, but who cares? - it brings me back 30 years in time)  : surfermoon.neocities.org/ |
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Post by ironhorseapples on Feb 9, 2023 17:25:15 GMT -5
You can use a spade to dig a field and feed your family, or you can split someone's skull with it. Andrew's handy tip for the day.  |
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