Remember... Life, Before the Internet? (I don't)

No Ticket

New member
Wow. I was thinking about it earlier tonight and man I can barely even remember what day-to-day life was like BEFORE the internet. I just remember a lot of Nick at Nite being involved haha. This is a thread where you can post what you did before the net (if you can remember it) or memories of getting online for the first time and the various things you did online... heres i goes then...



I got the internet for the first time waaaaayyyy back in 1998. Our first computer. A compaq presario haha. I remember the first time we got on we didn't know it would make those weird noises on the phone line if you picked it up and we thought something was wrong with the phones. Then I remember we were afraid to just turn the computer off when it froze WHILE connected to the internet. How laughable is all that now haha.

I remember the first website I ever went to was GamePro.com. Because at the time I loved that magazine and always would see advertisements for their website but I had never been online at all before. (We used AOL 4.0 at the time lol, I wonder what version it's at now... I wouldn't touch AOL with a ten foot pole these days)...

Anyway. I remember I got into Ocarina of Time on N64 and visited "The Odyssey of Hyrule" every day for like months after the game came out. Then I remember I got into a Star Wars phase around 1999-2003 when the prequels came out. I even worked for some Star Wars websites like JediNet.com haha. Slowly but surely I remember discovering more ways to waste my time. It seems odd to even think about connecting via phone line now. I remember how amazed I was with Napster and the ability to just download ANYTHING I COULD THINK OF! hahaha. I even ran into the other room to show my mom. I remember thinking IRC was awesome. Then AIM came along when we moved to mainly using IE.

I remember registering an Angelfire and Tripod page and at Homestead.com where you didn't need to KNOW HTML to make a page suck ass. lol. My first website was a place to download MIDI FILES hahahaha. Does anyone even USE angelfire and tripod pages anymore? I remember when search engines were littered with those things.

In fact, it's hard to remember how I wasted so much time on websites BEFORE the huge time wasters that are Myspace, Facebook and the internet's most awesome website... Youtube. I mean, really, Youtube is awesome and I can't believe nobody thought of it sooner. I remember having dragon ball z music videos I made in Windows Movie Maker with no place to host them. Brilliant that we can now waste hours of time watching old episodes of Duck Tales or playthroughs of video games or whatever crazy things we can think of. Like "Unboxing" the latest gadget. haha.

And then Wikipedia. Oh my lord. I'm so glad that was invented. While of course, not 100% accurate, you can't deny the wealth of information readily available to you. They've got wikis for specific stuff too I mean, really... Wookipedia for Star Wars or Weezerpedia for =w=.

In fact, I just realized I've almost never in my life used the internet for anything important. haha. Ahhh that's probably not completely true. I'm sure I've learned SOMETHING useful by now. :rolleyes:
 

The Drifter

New member
This was a great post and a great read. You brought alot of memories to me.

Let's see.
My mom and dad got the internet back around 1998 also. It was not a computer, but a WebTV. Anyone ever use one of those? I look back and shudder at how horrid they were.
We did not know that we had to find our own ISP, so somehow the thing connected to it's own. It ended up charging us by the minute! My dad almost died when he seen the bill.

The first thing I looked up (now remember the WebTV had it's own search engine, so that meant one could use no other, and it sucked) was the WWF wrestler Kane.
So much useless crap came up that it took me a good hour to find any info on him.

WebTV had it's own forums also. Which were mostly full of perverts and flame-wars. I do not think they even had any mods. I did not even know what a flame, troll, or even a mod was at the time.

The email was awful. A red-light on the system itself would blink and chirp. You would have to close the page you were on (because the Webtv could not have different windows or tabs) and go to your mail; which most likely was from another WebTV user. Now, the users could add <b>TONS</b> of HTML to their email. Which meant MIDIs, pictures, flashing .gifs and all kinds of crap.
When you opened the email, the webtv had to call each image, MIDI, etc from it's hosting webpage. It took a good 20 minutes for the TEXT to load for a single email that had that many HTML code.

Webtv also had it's own chatroom; Talkcity.
In the year 2000, I went into a user-created room called Barbaras-Castle because I wanted to troll. Well, I meet my future wife in that room. I think back on me and her chatting in Talkcity, and that red light with the chirp when she emailed me. That was GOOD times.

And, yes No Ticket. I too had some Angelfire pages. I also had those webtv webpages where you had to use it's built-in clipboard pictures, and only one font.
 

|ZiR|

New member
We got a computer around '96/'97, but I used it to play Doom, Sonic CD and Ski-free instead of any Internet activity. The first website I went to when I realized that, hey, this thing can do more than play games, was The Castlevania Dungeon.

Then a little while later my friends and I discovered AIM and the fun of the local chatrooms. We'd sneak out after midnight and go meet people for free beer and ****. That's basically how I spent my pre/early teens. I'd say it's a miracle none of us were put in danger, but looking back it's surprising how lame the guys we met were.
 

Agent Crab

New member
I first started using the internet in 1998 in the libray. However, we didn't get a computer in our own house in 2000. I didn't get into MSN talkin' until 2001 when someone convinced I should download it.

I even had my own websites. One being a large Chrono Trigger one. I even joined the Megaman community in 2001.
 

Morning Bell

New member
I remember getting the internet around '95 or '96 and being amazed that I didn't have to go through books to find information. I was thrilled that I could find help for video games, learn about upcoming entertainment releases, and e-mail was a HUGE deal.

Good times.:whip:
 

Violet

Moderator Emeritus
I remember what life was like before the internet. Whenever I moved town, I kept in touch with letters and phone calls. I kind of miss the nostalgia of pen pals. I only started going online in 2000 at school, for research..... and looking up Indyfan.com whilst escaping from extra sport time. I wasn't part of the forums though, as I never knew about them till later. The first website I looked up of my own free will was Indyfan.com.

The family bought a computer in late 2001, but no internet as my parents felt the internet was a waste of time and money and besides, I could access it at school for my research. The computer was primarily for assignments and printing. Before that, I used my Mum's typewriter to type up assignments. It was one from the '70s, totally mechanical, no electricity what so ever and it had a ink ribbon and could print in three different colours: black, red and white. I kind of miss hitting those keys and hearing the ding sound everytime I had reached the end of the line. Though, alignment was such a b**** on that thing. Until 2007, I had only used the net at cafes, libraries and school and had joined the Raven during that time for fun. Ever since, wireless technology has come in, it's been great. I didn't join MySpace till 2006, and didn't join Facebook till early last year by pressure from friends. Youtube is definitely my absolute favourite besides the Raven.
 

Gear

New member
Violet Indy said:
Before that, I used my Mum's typewriter to type up assignments. It was one from the '70s, totally mechanical, no electricity what so ever and it had a ink ribbon and could print in three different colours: black, red and white.


Ahhh, there you go. My own mother gave me her's from the 70s a couple years ago. Brown and tan plastic with a Han Solo sticker on the front. I'm not sure what happened to it, but I know somewhere we've got one from the 30s with it's own built-in case.


Although I didn't really start using the internet until a few years back, I can still reminisce about watching cousins play Wolfenstein on my dad's computer. My parents didn't allow or want me to because of what was then hard core video game violence, but I'd sit next to the chair and observe them running through the right angle halls and shooting Nazis who'd shout what sounded like "Hot-Dogs!".


It's funny how technology changes. Now you can access anything from the palm of your hand...
 

torao

Moderator Emeritus
Youtube. I mean, really, Youtube is awesome and I can't believe nobody thought of it sooner. I remember having dragon ball z music videos I made in Windows Movie Maker with no place to host them. Brilliant that we can now waste hours of time watching old episodes of Duck Tales or playthroughs of video games or whatever crazy things we can think of. Like "Unboxing" the latest gadget. haha.
It's really strange to think back to the times when there were just a couple of videos (so it seems in comparison to 2009) online.



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Jorbex

New member
Life before the internet? I remember life before there were cell phones! How we managed to survive I'll never know...
 

TheDarkCrusader

New member
I remember the days before internet not knowing much about a movie until seeing the first trailer in theaters or on tv. I kind of miss that because nowadays you get anticipated too early and get very letdown if it doesn't live up to your expectations.
 

Morning Bell

New member
TheDarkCrusader said:
I remember the days before internet not knowing much about a movie until seeing the first trailer in theaters or on tv. I kind of miss that because nowadays you get anticipated too early and get very letdown if it doesn't live up to your expectations.

Yeah, in some ways the internet has made it difficult for anything to be a secret or a surprise anymore. I do miss the days when you knew nothing about an album or movie until it was released. Everything's just too easy now.
 

QBComics

Active member
Life? I never had a life.

In all seriousness, I usually watched TV or played videogames. Either taht or I would watch movies, or play outside or around the house. I would also get my homework done faster and easier without being annoyed by the computer in front of me. I also read some comics and books. Even today, I'm still active and get most of my homework done.
 
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DocWhiskey

Well-known member
Before the internet?

I played lots of Nintendo.

Did homework. Read books.

I got a Windows 98 in, well, 1998. Got Aol dial up. 1st website ever visited was WWF.com back when I was a wrestling fanatic.

I remember a few years later my friend introduced me to AIM. My head nearly exploded.

I was like, "Wait. You're talking to Dan from school? Right now? Over your computer? Oh my god."

And I remember I would never order anything from over the internet because every website ever steals your credit card lol.
 

Gear

New member
I guess it would be for my (and many others out there) own good if computers, or more so the internet didn't exist. As QB suggested, it's a little distracting when you've got yourself a speech due tomorrow and while researching there's plenty of time to waist just a tab away...
 

The Magic Rat

New member
I used netscape way back when I was in school well before I ever got it at home. I believe in '98 we finally got it in my house. First site I visited was Disney to see prices for Disney World, which we booked a trip for.

It's weird how easily I can get info now. Before the internet I had to, you know, work to find answers. Now it's readily available in seconds. I think we take it for granted.
 

WrathofGod

New member
I'ld forgotten what life was like before the net... burying painful memories.
I got the net at work in the late 90's, then it was a novelty, now it's essential. And i thought i was the biggest Indiana Jones fan as well.
 

Indycrusader

New member
I can't ever remember not having a computer. But I do vaguely (and I mean vaguely) remember not having the internet. My family's had computers since the very early 90s, and we've had Internet since the early 90s as well. But the main thing I remember using computers for (and a lot, too) was to play Doom, Nibbles, and Gorillas. Oh, and to constantly listen to the Top Gun soundtrack. Gosh, I must have been only about 6, and I knew more about computers then than I did when I was 12. And that was DOS, too.

We moved when I was 9, and I don't know what happened, but somehow I seemed to forget what a computer was. It wasn't until I was about 12 that I had a flash of inspiration. I remembered that I had played the Top Gun soundtrack on our old computer, and I bet the new one could do it, too! And of course it worked. And sadly I was amazed. :rolleyes:

Anyway, getting back to the internet topic, I'd never really used the internet myself, even though we'd had it for years. When I first started getting on the internet on a regular basis (around 13 or 14), guess my favorite haunt: This place! I used to get on at night because I was always afraid I'd get in trouble. And...I did. So I haven't been back here in years. Well...I did stop by a couple years ago, but only briefly. And I can't even remember when I joined. It must have been...'03 or '04.

So yeah, this was one of the first places I frequented on the internet, and that was about it. Now I can't even imagine what I'd do without it. I'm a Computer Science major, and the thought of being without one frightens me. :(
 
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