Earliest internet memories and use.

[GWW]

The internet as a concept is something that has always interested me. Apparently its earliest use dates back to the 60's when NASA used it, so given this i guess it can't be classed as a recent phenomenon/invention. Nevertheless, i must say that i cant recall hearing about it once throughout the 80's, the era when i went to school. I'm not sure whether or not it was because of my young age, the fact the media hadnt picked the concept up, or whether its usage in households back then was extremely rare...or a combination of all 3 factors.

Anyway, I remember hearing about this great new concept called the internet back in the early to mid 90's, but i really had no idea about it at all. My earliest real use of/experience with the internet was in about 1997 when i did an "Introduction to Email" subject when studying Office Procedures at TAFE. Other internet applications remained a complete mystery to me though, til i bought my computer in 2002 and "went on line".

What are other people's earliest memories about the internet?

[Dissident]

I guess it depends on what "the Internet" is!

I guess the Internet today as we know it is probably more the "world wide web". The Internet from the 60's onwards was ARPANET, or at least some form of it. The Internet as we know it now (WWW) is probably around 15 years old, when Tim Berners-Lee invented the WWW (HTTP).

My first sight of the Internet was in 1995 when I was at Marden Senior College when someone who I knew there got Internet access through ADAM Internet.

Before that (from '92 - '95) I was active on many BBSs (bulletin boards) which was a great source of information. Most things on these BBSs were apparently taken from "the Internet" and I didn't know what that was.

In '95 I went to TTG TAFE, and in the Library there was a computer called CIN. CIN Stood for Community Information Network, I think... and it was a PC on the internet where you could use it if it was free. I registered an email address, and was looking around newsgroups at the time (Looking for Pearl Jam bootlegs if I recall!) The idea of being online facinated me!! I couldn't beleive I was talking with people all around the world.

Unfortunately I was banned from using the computers at TAFE around the end of '95 and the start of '96 because I was too "Curious" with the network (And I guess the list of 300 usernames and passwords I had on my hard drive didn't help) so I didn't get to use the Internet at TAFE any further

I got a job at Radio Rentals Tea Tree Plus and soon after making my first PC I got Internet access through a new company that just started up called CHARIOT.

And that would be my first memory!

[Wedgie]

I remember having a look at the internet on my father in law's computer in the early/mid 90s, all I'd do would be look at the official North site for 10 minutes then turn it off, oh how things have changed!

[Sploosh]

I remember hearing about "The Internet" in 1994 or 1995. At the Royal Show there was a small stand advertising "Wild rides on the Internet"; a small house near Anzac H'Way that had about 6 computers linked (via a very slow dial up) to the Net. I went there and used my "free 30 minutes" pass thing, and was amazed that I could just click and jump from footy to Disneyland to whatever else. I remember I went to dinner that night with a few friends and told them what I's been up to:- most had never "seen" the net and weren't interested, but one friend had it at his home and chatted avidly with me about it.

Went out and within a couple of weeks had bought a cool (i.e. expensive) top of the range 486 with Internet on a 14k modem. Mmmm, so super-deluxe and cutting edge! heh heh Wow, I thought it was great. Started with netscape version 1.0, and soon I was getting freaked out (in a good way) that I was 'chatting' to people in other countries via a message board. Yep, those were the days...

[spell_check]

Not sure exactly. I think around 1997 at the Royal Show when there was a booth that showed the afl website - much different outlook to the current one, but possibly at the same address, and having the final scores instantly after the final siren. That was a fair jump from finding out on the news (radio aside). First time I would have used it would be in year 8 - 1998. My parents got the internet at home in March 2000 and broadband January last year - connected to my own computer!

I may have heard about it earlier than 1997 however, but can't remember. Good topic, this one.

[Dissident]

I remember hearing about "The Internet" in 1994 or 1995. At the Royal Show there was a small stand advertising "Wild rides on the Internet"; a small house near Anzac H'Way that had about 6 computers linked (via a very slow dial up) to the Net. I went there and used my "free 30 minutes" pass thing, and was amazed that I could just click and jump from footy to Disneyland to whatever else. I remember I went to dinner that night with a few friends and told them what I's been up to:- most had never "seen" the net and weren't interested, but one friend had it at his home and chatted avidly with me about it.

Went out and within a couple of weeks had bought a cool (i.e. expensive) top of the range 486 with Internet on a 14k modem. Mmmm, so super-deluxe and cutting edge! heh heh Wow, I thought it was great. Started with netscape version 1.0, and soon I was getting freaked out (in a good way) that I was 'chatting' to people in other countries via a message board. Yep, those were the days...

Hmm what was the place on Anzac Hwy called ?

14,400k modem eh ? Hehe. My first modem was a 300 baud modem - then a 1200 baud - then a 2400 - I couldn't beleive the speed difference. First "PC" was a 386, 4 Meg of Ram and a 105Meg HDD.

[Sploosh]

Hmm what was the place on Anzac Hwy called ?

Can't actually remember the name of the place... only went there the once, 11 or 12 years ago, and suffice to say, it didn't last that long. I remember that the guy running seemed like a nice guy, but not so informed about computers, the net etc. Fair enough really, no one had much idea back then.

[WhiteTips]

at the place i am now service manager for, the boss always reminises with me about the 'good ol days' when he used to dial in with his 300 baud modem (yes .3k speed). he would need a part number for a chip to replace on a computer and used to use bullitin boards (old school forums) to get the chip number to replace. now that would be pain staking these days!

he also tells me about when he used to sell microbee computers with 2 5 'n' quater inch floppys running the OS - no HDD what so ever!!

i however am only 22, so this to me is just un-thought of.....just installing say msn would be 3 times the size!! lol

my first memory of the internet was about the age of 14, mum and dad bought a computer, within two weeks i had downloaded a trojan from some guy on irc and he deleted most of the needed files, then it got fixed, then somehow (while trying to learn how to do the same thing to other people) i contracted another trojan and cd trays started popping out at me and then bang computer was down again - the famous trojan i was playing with was back orrifice (a play on NT server back office platform) some of you may remember! not a good start to the internet!! never the less all users need this training circle of things to gather knowledge!

[Coorong]

Two things spring to mind.

My first computer was about 1994 An old (it was new) doss system. Was not even a hard drive. Had to load it up each time.

The second, say about 6 years ago my step son and a mate, two 12 year olds were playing a game on an old system I set up for them. Question.. Graeme when you were our age did you have this game...No...but its a really old game. I was 50 at the time.

Should I have explained I didnt live in a house with electricity till I was 16, or have an "inside" loo till I was 21. Could I have explained milk was delivered to your billy hanging on the front fence, teachers used a cane, or I was 12 before I saw TV for the first time (in a shop window) we wanted one but they didnt work off candle power or tilley lamps or kerosine. I rode a horse to school or that a good night was sitting at home, making toast over the open fire and doing spelling tests on a little blackboard, whilst Hop Harigan was on the (car battery) operated radio.

I doubt they would have beliieved me....so I had a scotch or two and reminiced.

I look at then and now. Now I am a 56 year old who loves the internet, mostly understand it Could not imagine my life without it and the footy chat rooms. Have developed a company website.

Yaay you old fart. Think I may just go out now and get me a modern hair style and a two door convertable.

[mick]

1995 on a 486 laptop with a 14.4K modem and dial-up with Adelaide Uni. The porn was all free in those days. One of my mates had access to a Sun Workstation and developed an early web-crawler, he had amassed the prodigious amount (at the time) of 10GB of the stuff

[duncs7]

My first computer experience ever that blew me away at the marvelous advance in technology was my first good ol Commordore 64! Equipped with state of the art Cassete drive and Joystick!

First internet experience was in Year 9 (1995) Computing. Yes the Porn was free back then and after that i had 3 weeks suspension for accessing it. Doh

[Coorong]

5 years ago, on my state of the art 20gig hardrive, had a crash. Got a tech in and he discovered 14gig of porn my stepson had downloaded, 114 other computers had access to ours and we had 95 different virus;s.

Mother paid the internet accounts and never alerted me.

Set up a password system from that day on. He lives with his Dad now, but when he comes over often says can I go online. Only after my funeral or yours.

[Interceptor]

1991 at Uni.

The World Wide Web did not exist.
Read Usenet newsgroups and files were downloaded with FTP via PCs and/or Digital VAX terminals.

A couple of years later the earliest browser (Mosaic) appeared and ran on Sun workstations.

We've come quite a long way since those days.

[JK]

Started in about 95 .. Just sat in a pool of Jenny McCarthy induced dribble and continually hit the chat rooms .. Still have friends that I keep in contact with now that I met back then

[Brad]

I first heard of the Modems in 1993 when I was in Year 7 at Primary School and a guy came in talking about them, didn't understand a word he said!

I first used the Net in late 1996, then more in 1997 it wasn't until say 1998 in year 12 I started to really realise how great it was! Then in 1999 got my computer hooked onto the Net and haven't looked back since.

[Ecky]

My first experience of the internet would have been in 1992 when on work experience at the CSIRO. I remember looking up newsgroups and being amazed at the amount of information on American Football on them. Started dialing up bulletin boards from home in 1993, and then got regular access from 1995 at uni, using "lynx" to browse the web (text only), and "Pine" to read emails (all unix based). Started using Netscape soon after that, but it wasn't much advantage being able to display pictures, as most websites were text-only back then!

[heater31]

at primary school in about 96 or 97, every kid in the class got ten minutes can't remember what i looked at, but i was not that overly impressed with this new technology (how wrong i was). Used the 'needed it for school' technique to get the old man connected at home in about 2000. moved out of home and had to start paying for it myself (doh!!!) upgraded to broadband about 2 months ago and havent looked back

[firstblood]

dunks7....boy were you behind the times !. i started with a commodore 64
with the (if i remember) 5" floppy disk drive...it only took 2 or 3 mins. to load a game.

[GWW]

I noticed in todays TV section of the Advertiser, an article with headline "Meet the father of the internet". Heading seems a bit misleading to me, as it looks like the show (which is going to be on next Tuesday, SBS 8.30 "CUTTING EDGE - GOOGLE: BEHIND THE SCREEN") is more about Google than the internet itself. I do readily admit that i know very little about the internet and its history though.

The show is going to feature an interview with Vint Cert, this so called father of the internet. Apparently he joined google in 2004, so on second thoughts, maybe he did have a large role in developing the internet prior to joining Google?????

Anyway, apparently one of the things the documentary is going to look into is whether or not Google has good or bad intentions ie does it act as Big Brother by keeping track of its users and make decisions about the information it provides.

Looks like it could be interesting viewing.

[Interceptor]

Vint Cerf is indeed one of the founding fathers of the Net.
His Wikipedia entry is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vint_Cerf