Life before the Web

[stuartw101]

What things could you do using the internet before the web was created?

Also what things could you do using the web when it was first released and what can you do at the current date?

Hope you can help me with this questions.

Thanks

 

[Quadophile]

I find your questions a bit confusing, could you please elaborate or rephrase? I may be the odd man out but since you did not get any response I thought I might get this going by posting this message

 

[stuartw101]

Sure.

What was the internet used for before the World Wide Web was created? What cid the invention of the World Wide Web allow you to do which the internet previously couldnt?

Hope that is clearer.

 

[Me__2001]

do you mean before web pages?

 

[stuartw101]

Yep, what was the internet used for? Sending simple text messages from ione computer to another, sending files etc

 

[cirianz]

I'm not sure if this is what you mean & being a tiny country down the bottom of the planet we were undoubtedly behind in the technology race, but back when my (ex) husband was doing his Masters in the very late 80's/early 90's I used to spend quite a bit of time on the Varsity computers talking to to people, usually in other universities, but it was nothing like what you see now, just white words on a black screen. But we were talking real time. Then there was email of course, & prices dropping, if only within the reach of the well off at first, but after that there was no stopping it!
Again it will likely have been different upstairs but I remember even just 5 or 6 years ago that people would be surprised that I (an ordinary person) would have my own website. Down here at least that was still regarded as the 'domain' of experts & 14 yo geniuses.
I'm sure there are people here who can give you a more accurate timeline of the development of the WWW. I did study it once a l-o-n-g time ago & it was fascinating, but unfortunately that's long since passed out of my short term recall. But if you want a personal experience then that's mine.

 

[stuartw101]

I appreciate that, thas what i wanted to know.

Thanks

 

[ChristopherP]

Wasn't JANET one of the first internet things in the UK?

 

[psd99]

well from what i had vread about it was used in the army before it got to homes.

but life has changed so much since it has arrived in homes
people have become very lazy 'oh lets pay over the web'
etc.... also to contact ppl 'lets e-mail them'
so theres less ppl meeting instead lets turn to email.


just imagine life 15 years ago, there was no internet no mobile phone rage,
the main way of contacting was telephoning. or even sending letters.
nowadays just imagine no internet or mobile phones.

how would life be for you?

 

[gabriella]

I still like to send letters and cards to people and also to receive them. I think you can't beat a bit of 'personal communication' and I have been in many situations where a hastily written email or text has caused a range of issues from deep hurt to confusion.

As a side issue I am worried about the demise of the written word in the UK with younger people - some young people simply do not know how to write properly due to the use of text and the like. If you could see some of the exam papers that examiners have to mark you would be astounded at the poor spelling and grammar!!!

Gabs xx

PS This thread may well help me with one of my many homework assignments for my computer course!! I've a piece to do on the advances in the use of internet/email and the like plus a retrospective look at what life was like without them. You have given me some additional food for thought!!

 

[cirianz]

I don't know, it's very easy to blame the spelling, grammar & behaviour problems on the computer, but my partner is 47 has had to learn his spelling & grammar skills as an adult since the grammar school he went to never bothered to teach them. & myself, I was at school during the time when grammar was seen as a "hinderance to the development of creativity" or some such rubbish & one of my teachers got fired for having taught us basic grammar when I was 7years old. My daughter, however has excellent spelling & grammar, both in English & text/computer speak & she will spend up to 8hrs a day chatting to her friends all around the world on MSN & in forums, she also has an active & full social life & many 'real life' friends.
Myself I think every generation likes to find some technology or music or style of dress or whatever, to blame the lifestyle changes of the next, and to assume that these lifestyle changes are negative, often just because they're different. I remember my mother was convinced that I was going to turn into some sort of apathetic moron & never come out of my room because I listened to heavy metal music. And D&D was seen, litterally, as a tool of the devil to lure unsuspecting teens into eternal damnation.

My daughter turned 13yo today. She lives in a very different world than I did when I was 13, it is natural that her lifestyle is different, but I dont think that it is worse or unhealthy. So far she seems to be a happy, well balanced & well adapted young woman. Has the computer made a social difference to her life? Of course it has. When I went to live in Australia for a while when I was 10yo I didn't get to commumincate with my friends for the next 18months. Every day my daughter chats with friends all around the world, including her Nana who lives in westport. I was lucky to get a letter from my nana twice a year. Is it lovely to get a written letter or card? Yes, it's wonderful & every one of us can go out & send one any time we want, but we can also talk with our friends every day on email or MSN or the like if we choose. The computer has not killed the written word, it has merely increased our comunication options & I love not having to wait 6 weeks for a reply to a 'letter' sent to india

Are there literary difficulties in our schools? Yes, but they have always been there. John is highly intelligent & shows all the signs of having been a "gifted child" but he did not know what a vowel was & had never been taught the difference between a noun & a verb. And is this related to any specific country? No, of course not. In any country there are good schools & bad, good teachers & bad. Maybe, rather, the computer is just brining the problem more into the light. And maybe something will will be done. I hope so.