Life before Internet?

[adoxograph]

Originally Posted by svmariane

Suck it up, pal...... And then get back to that Climate Change thread! Your team has the ball right now but the other side is building a defense! ...

Hab' gerade gesehen, dass du auch ein Ösi bist. Man findet uns einfach überall. Ich bin vor 20 Jahren nach Austrailen gezogen

I'm not a contestant on the GW thread rather a innocent bystander offering some basic physics knowledge to the combatants. I'm out of there as the direction is now going towards name calling. I'ts amazing how religious basic science can become in a believe based debate.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by adoxograph

I'm not a contestant on the GW thread rather a innocent bystander offering some basic physics knowledge to the combatants. I'm out of there as the direction is now going towards name calling. I'ts amazing how religious basic science can become in a believe based debate.

I gave up on that thread a long time ago. It's a religious debate at this point. Luckily the apparent split here on CF is not reflected in the globe's population or governments.

[paxfish]

Back in 88 or so, we would all dial up at 2400 baud and bitch at each other on the Compuserve sailing forum.

Those were the days.....

[Sandero]

The internet was the greatest invention since the printing press...

[adoxograph]

Originally Posted by paxfish

Back in 88 or so, we would all dial up at 2400 baud and bitch at each other on the Compuserve sailing forum.

Those were the days.....

Compuserve was my first email account. 2400 baud? Man I was lucky to get 1200 out of my acoustic coupler (remember those?)

[StuM]

Originally Posted by adoxograph

Compuserve was my first email account. 2400 baud? Man I was lucky to get 1200 out of my acoustic coupler (remember those?)

300 Baud and SLMR on Usenet. Then came "the September that never ended" and nothing has been the same since

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Waste time? Seriously? I just ordered three things on Amazon that will be here Monday. No driving around, no phone calls, no "allow six weeks for delivery."

Last week I was contorted in some almost-inaccessible part of the boat and used up the last of some small fittings I like to keep on hand. I scanned the package with an app on my phone, and clicked a button that took me to a site where I could order another package. Didn't even have to crawl out to jot down a note to myself!

Haven't had to check out, and remember to return, a library book or movie in years.

I give friends and family a web address and they can track my location, and even send me a text, or receive one, no matter where on the planet I am.

When I needed to know which wire to clip on my last new car to disable those stupid automatic-on headlights. a quick search got me the answer in seconds; no guessing, no clipping wires and hoping.

That goes for just about any job I've never done before. No matter how trivial, someone has posted a YouTube video showing me exactly how to do it. That alone has saved countless hours, not to mention the damage I would have done trying to figure out on my own how to take things apart.

Even when I "waste" time on this forum (like now), it's more productive than watching some sitcom on TV. Usually I learn something, sometimes I just get a good laugh.

That said, I'm probably not typical. (1) I'm not on Facebook, and (2) I skip over long threads about global warming, or any threads that have descended into pointless bickering.

Please tell me which iPhone app you use to scan items and find a local or internet supplier. Sounds great.

Now back to my global warming thread.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by svmariane

Do you remember life before the internet? .............................................., but a 301 page thread on "Why Climate Change Won't Matter in 20 Years" makes me wonder: WHY am I reading that?

well if you are spending enough time here to read all that thread and are still asking yourself WHY you should consider non-internet help

[Siberianhusky]

I'm not much for the social media aspect.
Sure love having near instant access to any parts catalog and the ability to know if something is in stock before I order it or drive to buy it.
I just counted I have a grand total of 28 sites bookmarked that I visit on a somewhat regular basis, about 20 sailing related, mostly suppliers, the rest Linux and news related. Not too much interest in the rest of the internet.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Please tell me which iPhone app you use to scan items and find a local or internet supplier. Sounds great.

Now back to my global warming thread.

For Android, I use this one. Not saying it's any better than the rest, just the one I happened to get used to.

Maybe we should start an Android vs. iOS thread if the GW thread ever peters out.

Gotta go attach my new anchor now. What kind you ask? Don't get THAT argument started!!

[Kenomac]

I'm a Canadian sitting here in Italy on my boat with only iPhone for Internet, who just ordered some hard to find Brompton bicycle parts from the UK. How else could this be done in 15 minutes, from locating the parts, finding a good price, inexpensive delivery, etc.?

The Internet saves time.

Thanks CaptTom

[zeehag]

internet makes for better ability to learn of deaths in family when folks cannot reach ye by fone. and for arranging transportation to seem momma when her second born kid is dead.
and after your favorite brother and best pal dies, it assists the lazy-ness of emotional coma with movies to watch and goofing off to be done for no reason until such time as you re-awaken to living and life.
finding parts and equipment used to rely on walking all over towns unknown to ye until your walking misadventure. as there are no bandaids here like in usa, it is difficult to accomplish much walking without loss of foot skin--as well as the other complications of becoming lost in a city in godknowswherwville. maps online on fone are a blessing!!
repairs are easier, replacement parts are easier.... fone bill is not lower, by any stretch.
is easier to communicate with momma via interwebzzz, when one is allowed to use it, than by fones which sometimes do not connect..kinda like interwebzzz.... ha ha ha h a
and when ye wanna spend time in oblivion, it is easy to do by stuffing face into the machine and watching amazon movies or netflix for a few hours.
finding perkins parts was a lot easier to do with interwebz than before ....
weather predicting is a lot easier with the satellite fotos available and nhc and storm 2k available online.
is something we hate to love and love to hate...

[rubbywilliams]

The internet has been the part of our job without internet we would be doing something else that doesn't mean for us.

[Sandero]

The www as a resource for information from "anywhere" you can get onto it is unparalleled. This can not only save one time, but often money finding the best "deal"... and of course gain access to things which are no accessible locally. The latter relies on a robust shipping system. And with that you can track your shipment as well. This is a vast improvement to the pre internet era.

One can also communicate with others about all manner of topics such as this forum. Plus you can literally read articles and so forth about almost any topic. A robust library in your hand. And you can publish your own ideas and articles and photos.

And with this increasingly powerful mobile devices you are truly connected from almost anywhere with all the information out there and all the people who are also connected to the web.

The youngsters can't possibly, it seems... imagine a world without this... and take it for granted. But it's been truly a sea change for humanity.

[omc]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Waste time? Seriously? I just ordered three things on Amazon that will be here Monday. No driving around, no phone calls, no "allow six weeks for delivery."

Last week I was contorted in some almost-inaccessible part of the boat and used up the last of some small fittings I like to keep on hand. I scanned the package with an app on my phone, and clicked a button that took me to a site where I could order another package. Didn't even have to crawl out to jot down a note to myself!

Haven't had to check out, and remember to return, a library book or movie in years.

I give friends and family a web address and they can track my location, and even send me a text, or receive one, no matter where on the planet I am.

When I needed to know which wire to clip on my last new car to disable those stupid automatic-on headlights. a quick search got me the answer in seconds; no guessing, no clipping wires and hoping.

That goes for just about any job I've never done before. No matter how trivial, someone has posted a YouTube video showing me exactly how to do it. That alone has saved countless hours, not to mention the damage I would have done trying to figure out on my own how to take things apart.

Even when I "waste" time on this forum (like now), it's more productive than watching some sitcom on TV. Usually I learn something, sometimes I just get a good laugh.

That said, I'm probably not typical. (1) I'm not on Facebook, and (2) I skip over long threads about global warming, or any threads that have descended into pointless bickering.

CaptTom,
Very well said, thank you, I fully agree with your post.

Above all we have to remember we got to where we are today with the Internet. Those who grew up with the Internet well established around them simply can’t comprehend life without it. There are however many of us who practiced life before it’s time and have experienced a life without the Internet.
Then in my own opinion the Internet is a technological advancement that excelled us into the 21st century and changed the way we can communicate (email, VOIP), we do business and we purchase goods.

As well, the Internet changed the way we socialize, which is very good. Evidence for this is given by this excellent forum. In my own opinion the exchanges of different views, of personal projects, of helpful informations, of amazing experiences, all based on a common love of something - particularly about boats - are always enriching and often lots of fun. In a social network, the possibility of starting dialogues with different or opposite opinions make very interesting things happen to get the job done. Different ideas are valuable, different or opposite comments are always welcome.

But I think we need better to ensure that some important points should be assessed over the Internet :
1) The anonymity of the Internet sometimes brings out the worst in some people then it is important as well that each group or forum would be regulated by rules and policy which moderators and regulators may sometimes remind and may take action if necessary. In my own opinion the exercise of freedom over the Internet does not imply a right to say or to do everything. Rules are what keep civil society civil.
2) The necessary protection of personal data, privacy and the legitimate interest of legal of each of us over the Internet are at risk. This issue is not as simple, it is an every day struggle to protect our acquired rights.

Got more ideas about how the Internet is helping and changing our lives : (I apologize to the moderators in advance if they feel I'm getting off topic of boating / sailing).
- Online education, training, and telementoring exercises are opening new frontiers for us and our children. As well for people in remote areas of the world even if some numerous barriers there to access and use the Internet need to be overcome to reduce disparities in education.

- The online virtual environments help doctors and the central role of medical research to take better care of people. New miniaturization technologies and media integration, along with increased quality of medical information available over the Internet to doctors, hospitals, medical research and practice, is providing unprecedented access to and exchange of medical knowledge to help doctors take better care of patients. In my own opinion, not only the Internet makes the life easier for us but also is somewhere improving life expectancy.

In sum, I believe that the advantages of the Internet outweigh the disadvantages. It paved the way to the future and still has many exciting advancements ahead of it’s self.