I first used the Internet in the late 80’s, even though back then it was just email; something that worked surprisingly well. There was no spam, and to read my email I needed permission from the university’s IT department manager. Every single time.
These days, we take it for granted; we are wired – or wireless – on the global network that spans every nation in the world, 24/7. It’s an endless connection, a digital umbilical cord that we’re using non-stop, in order to stay informed, in touch or in sync with the rest of the so-called ‘civilized’ world.
While 20% of adult Americans still don’t use the Internet, those of us that do know well that we can’t unplug from the “grid”; we can’t exit the “matrix” and we cannot escape the “web”. The Internet is part of our modern existence, regardless of whether we use specific parts of it, during our day’s time slice.
Can you stay off the Internet? I doubt it.
The late 80’s. That’s a long time to be on the Internet.
At around the same time, I lived in a town in Northern Australia, which just so happened to have one of the first network links to California… or something to that effect. I’m a bit hazy on the details.
Anyway, I remember my mother sat me in front of one of the troglodyte monitors at the computer department where she worked and tried to convey her excitement; “See this screen. It’s coming directly from a computer in America.”
The A-Team appeared on our TV screen every week, it was much cooler looking, and it came from America too, so I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
These days, I understand how my mother must have felt when I try to convey my excitement over a domain purchase to my girlfriend. 🙂
People ought to be more concerned as technology merges with biology. some of the possibilities are truly frightening. if the Transhumanists win, everyone loses.