Before the Net

[swanny]

Oct. 11, 2006
Earth
Wednesday
Morning
"its snowing"

Before The Net

Well it just struck me in a way, how much the internet has sort of effected my life. It is almost difficult to imagine the world without it now. That led me to reflect, Now where was I before the "net" came along.
I myself was pursuing a career as a TV Camera man, and handy man, as well as involved in the Music and Art biz.

The internet sort of shot down the music art aspect in terms of making money as now it allowed easy free access to music art and images so the market was more or less toast for that. I guess I sort've had to let that go as you couldn't much make a living at it doin it for free.
But sort of just curious too where were you or the world was at before the net.

I suppose thats probably around 1995 to 1998 before the net went global.

swanny

 

[Queso]

I remember using the Web in 1992 when it was just universities and Star Trek fansites and no-one knew how to use HTML properly. Can you imagine that you used to have to go to the library to find things out, and the only way to get news without buying a paper or waiting for the TV bulletin was to use Ceefax or Oracle?

 

[Butters]

I was too young to have aspirations back then, I was always interested in art though.

I'm doing design at university now, focusing on web design.

I've pretty much grown up with the net so to me web design seems like a regular (albeit overcrowded) career path to choose.

 

[Foggy]

I started using the net at University in 1994. Our department used to use it to host files for assignments and stuff. Other than that all that used to seem to be about was yahoo, pr0n and really crap homepages with loads of animated gifs and no sense of style.

 

[yellow]

I'm in the same boat as dynamicv. I put up my first website in 1992 (man does it look ugly today), and fell into the university category. In those days it's was UNBELIEVABLY easy to cross your own tracks while surfing.

Unfortunately, I was a 'tard and never thought of purchasing domains for future extortion. I kick myself from time to time over it.

 

[emw]

Unfortunately, I was a 'tard and never thought of purchasing domains for future extortion. I kick myself from time to time over it.

http://www.imkickingmyself.com/ is still available if you want it.

As for me, I started using the 'net with any regularity later in the 90's. Like, say, 1997 or so. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it now.

 

[Queso]

Although going back to the point of the thread, I've got no idea what I'd be doing for a living if it hadn't been for the explosion in computer usage and networking. Possibly working in a bank or something.

 

[macartistkel]

It was back in 1995 when I was in college that I started using the net religiously! I would sit at one of the MAC stations in the library for hours straight to pull up pictures of Leonardo Dicaprio, Melrose Place, etc. LOL! I was hooked doing searches on my favorite celebs (yes a little boy crazy then too).

Before that point I guess I just watched more TV. The internet is something I CANNOT and WILL NOT live without these days. Same with the cell phone. Take those things away and I would be miserable and competely uninformed about so much.

 

[Cube54]

Try running a BBS in the '80s using 1200 baud modems.

One at 1st then my site got busy & I had to add a 2nd phone line due to complaints.

Then it was 'When are you gonna upgrade to 2400 baud.'? When are you going to add more games? I can't connnect? Your place sucks!

I still have my original 300 baud modem I think ('Smartlink' - no joke) Nothing like old times.

 

[Lyle]

Try running a BBS in the '80s using 1200 baud modems.

One at 1st then my site got busy & I had to add a 2nd phone line due to complaints.

Heh. I remember setting up a BBS when I was a teenager (also in the mid-80's), but since I couldn't afford to buy a dedicated phone line my parents let me leave it up for just a few hours each night. Needless to say, this highly exclusive BBS didn't stay in "business" for very long.

But back to the original topic: Yes, it is kinda crazy to think about how much the web has changed in just the last ten years. I haven't thought much about how it may have affected my career path.

 

[swanny]

Kids

Interesting comments
thanks...

You know I just realized that there are children born after the net who have
never known a world without it...that would be strange...
I'm not sure what effect that would have but some British studies
indicate young children are two or three years behind their
grade levels in problem solving and critical thinking
I'm not so sure thats the fault of the net or just the growing fuzzy
line between the virtual and the real... or more computer games...
kids are growing up though in a whole different reality, it would
seem. I wonder what it would be like for them or what us olders could compare it too?
Life before "electricity"?

hmmmm????

 

[Cube54]

Heh. I remember setting up a BBS when I was a teenager (also in the mid-80's), but since I couldn't afford to buy a dedicated phone line my parents let me leave it up for just a few hours each night. Needless to say, this highly exclusive BBS didn't stay in "business" for very long.

But back to the original topic:

Hey Lyle the original topic was -> Before the Net <- which means there was *no* web

 

[Sesshi]

I ended the pre-Internet era with Firstclass.

 

[OutThere]

I have lived 13 of the 18 years of my life with internet. We got internet in 1993 when I was 5. So, unfortunately, I don't remember what it was like 'before'.

However I do know what it's like when I'm deprived of my internet connection for a few days (Days 1-3: Frustrating....Days 3-?: Strangely wonderful)

 

[swanny]

"Strangely wonderful" after 3 days abscence perhaps. I'll venture that some haven't been off the net for that long in many moons.

But once the net was envisioned I don't think it could have been "stopped" or contained even if it needed to be. I mean it was just to big and to fast for that.
I've heard it been described as "it escaped the lab" by one of the original founders.

To get a gander at the size I created this site. Now if one were to do what this site can do in 5 minutes one would have to travel at a speed in excess of
Mach 300... that's 300X the speed of sound.

Observatory Link = http://ed.jonas.googlepages.com/google.html

 

[Leareth]

Living without the net?!?

I get pissed off now when ever I take out my laptop in public and it isnt a wireless hotspot !!! One of my friends remarked that there probably wouldn't be any wireless hotspot on top of the mountain that didn't have a cellular connection...

My first experience with the internet was with the 10 hour AOL trial disks...
this must be 1994-5 ish... then nothing until 1998 when I bought my first mac.
now I can't imagine not having access to the net.
checking out news, weather, prices updated frequently...

actually the other day I was reading a paper copy of a newspaper and I was looking for the reload button on the first page to refresh the news...

 

[echeck]

how much the internet has sort of effected my life.

"sort of"?

The 'net has effected all of our lives on such a grand scale that it's nearly incomprehensible.

I'm not sure what I did to pass the time before the 'net, but all I know is now when my connection goes down I sit in the corner in the fetal position and rock myself back and forth until it comes back on.

Is that weird?

 

[Cybix]

before the net, I was on <enter BBS name here>

Then in the early 90's you could dial into a uni to get what was called 'the internet'. this was a crap terminal session, where you could use gopher, ftp, pine, eventually lynx (for text web surfing), etc.

then along came slirp, and TIA, for a SLIP connection, to get 'graphical internet' WOW... initial web browsers like mozilla (netscape) appeared, and WS_FTP, Eudora... there was 'winsock' and eventually prog's like MIRC.. hehe

then came PPP! wow! how easy is it to connect to the net now? no scripting!

Now look at today, we have internet on our phones, fridges, in our cars, etc.

 

[zap2]

In my limited experience, "experience" is still a better gauge of the facts and truth than any search engine and will probably always be.

No....I'm sorry that not true. Lets assume I play Tennis today for the first 1 today and I kind of learned the rules, lets also assume tomorrow I'm going to be tested on the rules. For the test I have 2 options

1) Go off of my "experience" for the test
2) I'm allowed to have a laptop with Wi-Fi,and use a search engine to find the answers.

I'm going to use the search engine to get my answer thank you!

 

[swanny]

Opening up a can of worms? Have you ever met this person? Maybe one of his principle is being truthful? If that what he/she was doing?

Again I'll ask how does going to a computer forum,and JOKING around with make one cool? or make one "uncool"?

Also please don't tell me about him popular vs cool vs being yourself. I'm fine with that...I think your reading to much into what the person said! Jokes can be mean, if you don't take them the right away, and sometime being honest is also being mean.

Well I appreciate your seemingly sincere desire to understand.
But sadly this world has people that derive pleasure from hurting or abusing others although you're probably aware of that. As well it is not customary at least where I come from, to joke to personally with strangers, and sad to say but given the sometimes questionable credibility and sincerity of the web despite outward appearances most web folk will remain strangers unless a period of years of web aquaintance occurs. because Internet relationships are largely the product of incomplete and misinfo assumptions and do not represent the face to face or real person. Not sure if thats clear, but I would advise you to not make to many "assumptions" on web encounters or even in real life. Assumptions are often the basis for much grieve. I choose to take this joke as an insult because it was ambigious enough not to be clear on whether it was a joke or an insult. I suppose I am at times sensitive but maybe because I am tired and had a long day. I wouldn't overanalyse it though cause sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[zap2]

As well it is not customary at least where I come from, to joke to personally with strangers, .

Sadly we are online, studies show people are less "proper" online......we do joke here.....I'd say that something you need to understand or you internet use will not be fun

I wouldn't overanalyse it though cause sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Luck for me then I don't think I am!

 

[swanny]

No....I'm sorry that not true. Lets assume I play Tennis today for the first 1 today and I kind of learned the rules, lets also assume tomorrow I'm going to be tested on the rules. For the test I have 2 options

1) Go off of my "experience" for the test
2) I'm allowed to have a laptop with Wi-Fi,and use a search engine to find the answers.

I'm going to use the search engine to get my answer thank you!

My my you are a persistent one...
okay say in your search for an answer you find and equal number of sites
say 100 that say the answer to your question is "x" and an opposing number of sites say 100 also that say no the answer to your question is "y", and thats just a crude example, at some point in this life your going to have to start making and answering and taking responsibility for your "answers" and decisions. A search engine can't live your life for you.

 

[zap2]

My my you are a persistent one...
okay say in your search for an answer you find and equal number of sites
say 100 that say the answer to your question is "x" and an opposing number of sites say 100 also that say no the answer to your question is "y", and thats just a crude example, at some point in this life your going to have to start making and answering and taking responsibility for your "answers" and decisions. A search engine can't live your life for you.

No search engines can't live your life....however to say one should take experience over a search engine always, if foolish. Search engines help get you the facts, and people need to use those facts to help get people experience

Also I need to ad that his topic has gone WAY off topic, but what we are talking about is no doubt interesting, and very insightful.

 

[swanny]

No search engines can't live your life....however to say one should take experience over a search engine always, if foolish. Search engines help get you the facts, and people need to use those facts to help get people experience

Well I don't recall saying "always" but I will grant you that okay perhaps a "balance" of experience with "refined" search engine skills, ablilities and ha ha
"experience" is a pretty good gauge of the facts and the truth. You are persistent and it paid off. Well done.

but we're sorta a bit of topic...
what was the question?
before the net...
I do remember how you could simply dial up someone elses computer
Is that correct? One to one computer dial up?

 

[zflauaus]

I did a term paper last year about the internet from 1956(?) from when Sputnik went up to now. Quite amazing how far we've come in 50 years.