Happy Anniversary, Internet

[Dee]

January 1, 2008 marked the 25th anniversary of the Internet.

On January 1, 1983 about 400 computers connected to the ARPAnet (a network sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defence) were made to communicate with each other using a set of protocols called TCP/IP. Thus, the Internet was born.

Remember when . . .

Online was where you hung the wash
and a megabyte was a really big nosh
and if it was a Virus you got
you went to the doctor and got a shot

Internet or Interface
Download, Upload, Database
Pixel, shmixle, cyber speak
they may as well be speaking Greek

Once . . .

A floppy disk meant you had a bum back
a Hack drove a cab
and a burger was a Mac
Modems, Chat Rooms, DOS and DATS
a Mouse in your pad, that's why we had cats!

(from "The Clicker Blues")

[hoops]

and somehow Janis managed to have a message board in 1969... dang she's good
peace
hoops
happy b day internet... i wouldn;t know my rudie family without ya

[DaveM]

I can remember being one of I know not how many beta testers for GopherNet. Most of what we did was send messages to each other--essentially what is now known as e-mail but it was much tougher to address. Depending on traffic, it might take half a day for a message to reach its intended recipient--and now and then it wound up with someone else entirely. I remember wondering: what on earth would anyone ever do with that?

I wondered the same thing when video displays replaced Teletype terminals....what kind of fun was that, not having that long paper roll when you were done playing "Lunar Lander"?

A futurist, I am not.

[aabram]

I've learned such a lot in the past 5 years.... :D

[Dee]

I can remember being one of I know not how many beta testers for GopherNet. Most of what we did was send messages to each other--essentially what is now known as e-mail but it was much tougher to address. Depending on traffic, it might take half a day for a message to reach its intended recipient--and now and then it wound up with someone else entirely. I remember wondering: what on earth would anyone ever do with that?

I remember when I first learned how to e-mail. That was the late 1980s and text-based only. It really brings home how quickly things changed in a relatively short period of time.

Now if only they would invent a filter to block out the dorks and keep them offline I would be pretty nearly perfectly happy. :p

[Denise]

I remember when I first went on to ICQ and "talked" to my cousin in Florida! She was the only one I knew that had that as well.
Wow that was exciting!!! Ha Ha!

[DaveM]

Does anyone else remember the era of CompuServe, Delphi, Genie, Quantum Link (later Q-Link and now AOL!), etc.? You had to fire up your 1200 baud (if that) modem, usually dial long distance, and if you were lucky, got connected to their "dial-in service".

CompuServe, if I recall correctly, had a "CB Simulator" (what would now be called a chat room). When people started using it for dating purposes and someone invented "cybering", it made national headlines. CompuServe actually ran an ad campaign featuring married couples who had met online. Very silly....

[Eva]

Actually I only learned to work with a computer about 7 years ago. Before, I thought:

* I haven't needed one untill now. Why should I need one now? :confused:
* Why the hell spend so much money on a box that is outdated by the time I bye it?
* I have a typewriter. I don't need a computer. I have carbonpaper if I need to make two identical letters. And the cigarettestore on the corner has a xeroxmachine if I need more.
* If I want to send someone a message I call them or write them a letter.
* Chat, E-mail, internet, world wide web? What are those???? :confused: And why would I need them?

I am not very good with change. Can you tell? :o

Eva