Friday 23 October 2009

Now I feel old…

It's the internet's 40th birthday (of sorts). I sent my first e-mail in 1994, and probably sent one or two a month for the next couple of years. Here's the bit that makes me feel like a relic:

on New Year's Day 1994 – only yesterday, in other words – there were an estimated 623 websites. In total. On the whole internet. 

My life has been transformed - mostly positively - by the internet. I can find books previously out of reach, read academic papers, wind up Ewar and Cynical Ben, maintain my schedule, communicate with people all over the world. Conversely, a good deal of work is generated electronically. My eyes hurt, and - perhaps more importantly - notions of friendship and community have been radically altered. In some ways, this has been beneficial. I can plot political rebellion and circulate protests in an instant. In other ways, it's deepened the atomisation of western society. From my keyboard, I could theoretically 'be' anyone I want, without sanction. I can easily join groups and just as easily exit them - commitment and stability are waning. At the Blog Awards, I reverted from my virtual identity (Outspoken Suave Oracle of Wisdom) to my actual persona of Socially Inept Fat Bloke. Should I allow SIFB to wither away and concentrate on OSWB, or is there value in just being who you are? Of course, I could be both…

6 comments:

Newton Heath 18 said...

OSOW needs to stay as otherwise my lunchtimes would be empty. However, SIFB? Having never met him I can't comment. But the Witty Humble Intelligent Guy (WHIG) I have met should stick around.

intelliwench said...

That's like asking if Superman should just be Superman instead of Clark Kent, and vice-versa.

You are both!

Benjamin. said...

I agree with Ewar, if he turned up to lecture yesterday then he'd seen more of the WHIG with added speed after a swift exit to allow a tiny librarian show us how to access information on the Uni database. Ironically, she was more of a hard nut then any tutors that I have currently. Any voices of discontent... quickly stamped out. She should be PM.

Imaginary Friend said...

There absolutely is value in just being who you are.
You do yourself an injustice by calling yourself socially inept, that is the last thing I'd call you.
No need to change, I like you just the way you are...I'm sure there is a song lyric there somewhere!

The Plashing Vole said...

Aw, shucks, you guys.
Demon - wish I'd stuck around to hand out a few shoeings to the disruptive lot - complaints were made and words will be said in two weeks' time.

Zoot Horn said...

In 1994 a colleague and I set up a website at Warwick University in order to put a postgrad journal online. The journal didn't make it online straight away, but we put up lots of other stuff using labour-intensive longhand HTML codes, which took ages (set up the codes, browse the document, make a list of all the mistakes, go in and change 'em, start over...) but it was a joy. Then we discovered how to add pictures and stuff. I spent hours on the (slow and easily paralysed) internet in '94. Lots of pop culture present but I can't remember much porn or advertising. No ebay. You could send emails but few could receive or read 'em. Nobody trusted internet ordering sites... and only a few students had enormous mobiles sticking out of their rucksacks. Ooh, it was a brave new world.