Five Things the Internet Brought About That I Can Live Without...

[V.T. Eric Layton]

From Nocturnal Slacker @ Lockergnome --> http://www.lockergnome.com/nocturnalslacke...n-live-without/

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Well, having been played around with two-way radios for much of my youth and young adulthood, I have something with which to compare. I had friends from many distant places back then on the radio, just as I do know online. There isn't really much difference. Distance should not be a hindrance to friendship. That's what communication technology has succeeded in doing... shrinking distances. Sadly, I have real life friends who don't have any social contacts online, so they cannot understand how I can call "strangers" from thousands of miles away friends. They'll never understand, either. I've always likened online friendships to the old pen pals of yesteryear. One is enriched by his friendships. I pity those who have no friends. They are poor, indeed.

[Corrine]

Twitter: It took me a while to adopt it, but now I see Twitter as a tool. It has provided opportunities for real-time conversations with people I wouldn't ordinarily have the opportunity to converse with; i.e., Ed Bott, Mary Jo Foley, Stephen Rose and Alexandre Teplitxky (MS Springboard), a couple of the people who Tweet for "Windows", etc.I have actually helped some people who asked questions on Twitter and find it a good source for information sharing. I do stick with following people, companies, etc. with common interests though.eBooks:Even if I had an eBook reader, I couldn't afford the books. I generally read three or four books a week and end up at the local public library every two weeks. The reserve book I'll pick up on Wednesday will cost me $.50 to cover costs. The Kindle or Nook version is listed at $11.99.

[amenditman]

Folks, we got us a real live perfesional writer among us.Great post, Eric. The Internet even helps you to re-connect with friends from high school you didn't know back then.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I've never earned a penny for anything I've ever written, Bob. That means I'm still an amateur scribbler. But you're right about the running into old friends from high school that I didn't know in high school.

[Corrine]

[Cluttermagnet]

Well, having been played around with two-way radios for much of my youth and young adulthood, I have something with which to compare. I had friends from many distant places back then on the radio, just as I do know online. There isn't really much difference. Distance should not be a hindrance to friendship. That's what communication technology has succeeded in doing... shrinking distances. Sadly, I have real life friends who don't have any social contacts online, so they cannot understand how I can call "strangers" from thousands of miles away friends. They'll never understand, either. I've always likened online friendships to the old pen pals of yesteryear. One is enriched by his friendships. I pity those who have no friends. They are poor, indeed.

Well said, Eric. Matches a lot of my experience. Internet has allowed me to meet some very interesting folks who have things in common with me- folks I'd otherwise never have met. Truly, that enriches life. 'Networking' with people was my immediate greatest enthusiasm, from the moment I started my online life in 1996. In fact, for the first 6 months, I had no 'internet', per se- I had only the free Juno service- emailing and newsgroups. I took to it like a duck to water. Adding 'real' internet was like icing on the cake, for me.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Heh! Juno... would you believe I still have (at last check) a Juno email account that still works?

[crp]

Heh! Juno... would you believe I still have (at last check) a Juno email account that still works?

I have 2 juno accounts and my sister?She has 3 accounts that she still uses with the Juno client software !!! (this sister is on dial up and does not use the Internet)

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Yeah... after posting that yesterday, I went to Juno's site and saw that they are still offering dial-up service. I can't believe folks still use dial-up. I'd never be able to go back to those speeds. I'd give up on the Internet entirely, I think, if I had to go back to dial-up. Of course, when I was first using dial-up, I was AMAZED with it, compared to the 300 baud text only BBS systems that I had been familiar with prior to the current manifestation of the WWW. It's all relative, I s'pose.

[amenditman]

Speaking of relatives.I have 2 who are still using Juno and dail-up. They don't use the net much.

[ChipDoc]

I've never earned a penny for anything I've ever written, Bob. That means I'm still an amateur scribbler.

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.-Richard Bach

[ChipDoc]

Yeah... after posting that yesterday, I went to Juno's site and saw that they are still offering dial-up service. I can't believe folks still use dial-up. I'd never be able to go back to those speeds. I'd give up on the Internet entirely, I think, if I had to go back to dial-up. Of course, when I was first using dial-up, I was AMAZED with it, compared to the 300 baud text only BBS systems that I had been familiar with prior to the current manifestation of the WWW. It's all relative, I s'pose.

It really is all relative. I had a whole career as a webmaster and never had anything faster than a 5kb dialup connection.

[amenditman]

My TelCo limits DSL to 7 miles from their equipment.Then again, it's Verizon, and they just suck as a company.FIOS is great, the techs are great, the company rots.

Edited March 28, 2011 by amenditman

[Guest LilBambi]

Sadly true ... and supposedly they are committed to broadband to rural areas...instead they bring wireless and major limits and high cost...

[amenditman]

I recently made the inevitable switch to Bright House, I always leave Verizon eventually.I have no complaints about FIOS or any of the tech service I've had from them, both on my account or any of my customers.I had to deal with the business part of the company to straighten out a billing question which spanned over a year.Needless to say, it was resolved in their favor regardless of my protests/evidence.It was like dealing with a criminal syndicate.

[ChipDoc]

Sadly true ... and supposedly they are committed to broadband to rural areas...instead they bring wireless and major limits and high cost...

There's a lot more money there than in "rural areas".My father always told me, and I told my own kids, "If you want to know the reason for practically anything at all, follow the money trail."

[amenditman]

all businesses are a criminal syndicate - to the average person.it's how they are set up - the ceo / chairman / board are required to maximize return on investmentand that most often discounts (ignores) the customer, so to customers, itseems like a criminal syndicate.

Well, Verizon has mastered the art form.

[Guest LilBambi]

Well, Verizon has mastered the art form.

Yes, they have!And there is a lot more money to be had by sheer numbers in the cities and suburbs ... that's why they increase their bandwidth and not ours. Not because there is more money here. Most of us are just getting by most of the time, like everyone else.