Do you remember your first days on the internet?
Discussion
Been in IT since leaving school in 86 - I worked for Olivetti in the repair lab, so always had acess to the latest kit and lots of ancient kit.
Didn't start using the internet until mid 90's when 33k modems came out and we could use an analogue line on the works telephone switch for hours on end!
Registered my own 3 letter domain in 1998
Didn't start using the internet until mid 90's when 33k modems came out and we could use an analogue line on the works telephone switch for hours on end!
Registered my own 3 letter domain in 1998
An ex-girlfriend was going travelling to asia and oz in 1998, she helped me set up a hotmail account so we could keep in touch.
I remember going to our local library and booking an hours slot every week to check my mail. It took me about 3 visits to work out how to 'compose' an email as they called it, rather than just reply to the one she had sent me.
Still have the same e-mail account to this day.
In the early naughties, I'd worked out that the internet could be used for buying clothes/shoes/etc, and having big feet(size 13) my choice from the high street had been severly limited. The internet however, offered a whole new shopping experience and almost unlimited choice. I certainly tried my best to make up for lost time and bought size 13 shoes and trainers like they were going out of fashion.
I recently had a garage clear out and threw shoes out i'd bought over 10 years ago I hadn't worn!
Craig.
I remember going to our local library and booking an hours slot every week to check my mail. It took me about 3 visits to work out how to 'compose' an email as they called it, rather than just reply to the one she had sent me.
Still have the same e-mail account to this day.
In the early naughties, I'd worked out that the internet could be used for buying clothes/shoes/etc, and having big feet(size 13) my choice from the high street had been severly limited. The internet however, offered a whole new shopping experience and almost unlimited choice. I certainly tried my best to make up for lost time and bought size 13 shoes and trainers like they were going out of fashion.
I recently had a garage clear out and threw shoes out i'd bought over 10 years ago I hadn't worn!
Craig.
We had a 1 month trial at my office in January 1995 but we had absolutely no use for it as none of our customers had email. Got it again in late 1997 by when I would say about 40% of our customers worldwide could receive an email. Until then we were using £1100 fax machines.
I remember when our first fax machines arrived - Jan 1986. I was in Australia and was told we were getting a machine that could transmit handwriting and no-one had any idea what that was going to look like. Fax only had a 12 year life for us though.
Before that it was telex.
I remember when our first fax machines arrived - Jan 1986. I was in Australia and was told we were getting a machine that could transmit handwriting and no-one had any idea what that was going to look like. Fax only had a 12 year life for us though.
Before that it was telex.
Using screaming.net as a provider they gave you an hour free internet after 6pm, I believe around 1996 or thereabouts. Every evening I tried to log on using a modem.....
My eldest son supervised my very first connection to the internet (him doing it at school, I'd had an Amiga until that point so no internet until the first PC came into the house). I recall him telling me that I was "now connected to the internet" and I looked at the screen expecting it to do something
Anyway, with a bit more experience I engaged in online battles with the game Unreal then Unreal Tournament, happy days.
Hardly used it for much else in those days
My eldest son supervised my very first connection to the internet (him doing it at school, I'd had an Amiga until that point so no internet until the first PC came into the house). I recall him telling me that I was "now connected to the internet" and I looked at the screen expecting it to do something
Anyway, with a bit more experience I engaged in online battles with the game Unreal then Unreal Tournament, happy days.
Hardly used it for much else in those days
Internet when my fiancé (now wife) and I bought our first house together in 1995.
We went out and bought a PC from a place located at an industrial unit in Worksop.
They advertised in the local paper and you rang up and ordered the spec you wanted.
2 weeks later they rang to say it was ready to collect.
I remember it cost £1000 but don't remember the spec.
We then got on the internet using dial up.
30 mins for a page to load
If you clicked on the wrong link it was 30 mins wasted.
It also used the phone line so no one could ring you.
Got Sky around that time as well.
We went out and bought a PC from a place located at an industrial unit in Worksop.
They advertised in the local paper and you rang up and ordered the spec you wanted.
2 weeks later they rang to say it was ready to collect.
I remember it cost £1000 but don't remember the spec.
We then got on the internet using dial up.
30 mins for a page to load
If you clicked on the wrong link it was 30 mins wasted.
It also used the phone line so no one could ring you.
Got Sky around that time as well.
Managed to persuade parents that a PC was essential in 96 or 97. So a Tiny was bought and placed, complete with massive desk, printer, mouse etc in the hall. The hall. Which meant anyone walking past could see the screen. I learnt to minimize pretty quickly.
The dial up was on some sort of timer, I think the longer you were on the more you paid. One of the first things I did was check some porn site, which placed a rather nice XXX type shortcut on the desktop (which I didn't notice). Dad later asks what it was/how it got there and after lying unconvincingly the two of us spent an age trying to get rid of it before Mum saw it. We didn't know add/remove programs or even to right click.
After that I stuck religiously with thehun.com for years.
The dial up was on some sort of timer, I think the longer you were on the more you paid. One of the first things I did was check some porn site, which placed a rather nice XXX type shortcut on the desktop (which I didn't notice). Dad later asks what it was/how it got there and after lying unconvincingly the two of us spent an age trying to get rid of it before Mum saw it. We didn't know add/remove programs or even to right click.
After that I stuck religiously with thehun.com for years.
At the end of the last century I purchased an imac, one of those see through box things.
Once going the 1st thing I did was search for a film "Leningrad Cowboys Go America"
Spent ages trying to find it, then Mrs PR admitted she'd bought it for my birthday, a special order or something.
Sat up that night and watched it till 2pm. (The film not the imac)
Once going the 1st thing I did was search for a film "Leningrad Cowboys Go America"
Spent ages trying to find it, then Mrs PR admitted she'd bought it for my birthday, a special order or something.
Sat up that night and watched it till 2pm. (The film not the imac)
lockhart flawse said:
We had a 1 month trial at my office in January 1995 but we had absolutely no use for it as none of our customers had email. Got it again in late 1997 by when I would say about 40% of our customers worldwide could receive an email. Until then we were using £1100 fax machines.
I remember when our first fax machines arrived - Jan 1986. I was in Australia and was told we were getting a machine that could transmit handwriting and no-one had any idea what that was going to look like. Fax only had a 12 year life for us though.
Before that it was telex.
O/T but a good story about Fax Machines.I remember when our first fax machines arrived - Jan 1986. I was in Australia and was told we were getting a machine that could transmit handwriting and no-one had any idea what that was going to look like. Fax only had a 12 year life for us though.
Before that it was telex.
A mate worked in the Saudi in the 80's and was coming to the end of a 12 week trip before going home for 3 weeks, sent his wife a fax with his flight details etc. and a note at the bottom saying meet me off the plane with a mattress tied to your back and a bottle of whiskey in your hand.
His wife replied back some time later saying of course I'll meet you off the plane. re: the whiskey and mattress, just make sure you're the first bloke off the plane!
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