Just a random thought. I can remember when there was a time before the Internet, before cell phones, before HDTV and before the little satellite dishes. Granted I was born in 1981, so I wasn't that old, but I do remember life before the digital revolution.
Its seems so natural to me that as I got older, technology seemed to change, adapt and grow up with me. What 7 year old really needs the Internet? What 12 year old needs a cell phone. My first experience online was in 1995 via AOL in middle school. I didn't have it at home until 1998 when I was half way through high school. My family never had cell phone until 1996 and I didn't have my first phone until 2000! It seemed as if I would reach an age and technology would be there for me.
Part of the advantage to being around before the Internet is remembering what it looked like in its infancy. I am obviously not taking into account that some forms of the web have been around since the late 60's but these were dedicated to colleges and the government. When I reference the Internet, I am speaking of the seemingly overnight appearance of it in the early-mid 1990's.
I remember the popularity of AOL at first. $19.99 for 20 hours a month. Wow what a deal!!! Yeah not so much considering everyone had dial-up. Then again many of the web-pages were much simpler and did not require fancy plug-ins and applications. Website design, function and even protocol has changed so much in the past 15 years. A site that a six year old could randomly create now with basic graphics, and seem almost childlike was the norm back then often with midi music accompanying it.
I guess my main point and the random thought that brought me here was that back when I first got online in 1995, there were only a handful of websites. Most were brand new and many did not last. As the years went on, many either were eliminated, abandoned or have been continuously (this is a subject term) updated. The two later intrigue me the most.
First the updated site. Someone has actually taken the time to update the site contents and design either daily. weekly, monthly or yearly. Whatever, there is still that interest and it must be amazing to see where the site was. I often look at the "way back machine" to view old websites I used to go to just for nostalgia sake. This is most true with yahoo! which seemingly update every so often with a new version that I at first hate but become used to. I also find it cool to see websites that say, "Online since 1998" or "1999-2009 10 years online" or something like that.
Second the abandoned site intrigues me because it is like looking back in time. These sites are harder to find because they disappear everyday but there are still some out there. I find it eerie to come across websites that will dated 1997 and have info relevant to that year. It makes you wonder what happened to the webmaster. Did they forget about it, lose interest or perhaps even die?
Finally what brought on the random thought was my joining of the member since 2005 club. It's been almost five years for me which means almost 8 years for others. How does the time go by so fast? SG is popular, so much an ingrained part of so many peoples lives that it will be around for a long, long time. So it is possible for there to be a member since 2022 group or something like. Just imagine in 2022 a new 18 year old member joins having been born in 2004. Here they are on this website older than themselves, chatting with some of the original SG members who have been with the site for 20 years. At the time you could have been 23 and new to SG in 2002 and now here you are, still an active member at 43. Imagine all the life changing events that have occurred outside the site. Now think of the ones inside the site. Who knows, maybe this form of communication will be outdated by then. Maybe groups will no longer exist, maybe the photos will be 3D or maybe it will only be videos since 2019.
My whole point is that technology is so amazing and it is here to stay. As I get older, so does it but in an ever changing format. Certain things stick and some do not. Hell, I had a pager in 1997, who besides maybe a doctor and/or drug dealer has one now. I dare to say even the drug dealer has evolved, but who knows. I look forward to seeing where this site and others go in the next 10 years and also take joy in looking back with a nostalgic look to where it once was.
Its seems so natural to me that as I got older, technology seemed to change, adapt and grow up with me. What 7 year old really needs the Internet? What 12 year old needs a cell phone. My first experience online was in 1995 via AOL in middle school. I didn't have it at home until 1998 when I was half way through high school. My family never had cell phone until 1996 and I didn't have my first phone until 2000! It seemed as if I would reach an age and technology would be there for me.
Part of the advantage to being around before the Internet is remembering what it looked like in its infancy. I am obviously not taking into account that some forms of the web have been around since the late 60's but these were dedicated to colleges and the government. When I reference the Internet, I am speaking of the seemingly overnight appearance of it in the early-mid 1990's.
I remember the popularity of AOL at first. $19.99 for 20 hours a month. Wow what a deal!!! Yeah not so much considering everyone had dial-up. Then again many of the web-pages were much simpler and did not require fancy plug-ins and applications. Website design, function and even protocol has changed so much in the past 15 years. A site that a six year old could randomly create now with basic graphics, and seem almost childlike was the norm back then often with midi music accompanying it.
I guess my main point and the random thought that brought me here was that back when I first got online in 1995, there were only a handful of websites. Most were brand new and many did not last. As the years went on, many either were eliminated, abandoned or have been continuously (this is a subject term) updated. The two later intrigue me the most.
First the updated site. Someone has actually taken the time to update the site contents and design either daily. weekly, monthly or yearly. Whatever, there is still that interest and it must be amazing to see where the site was. I often look at the "way back machine" to view old websites I used to go to just for nostalgia sake. This is most true with yahoo! which seemingly update every so often with a new version that I at first hate but become used to. I also find it cool to see websites that say, "Online since 1998" or "1999-2009 10 years online" or something like that.
Second the abandoned site intrigues me because it is like looking back in time. These sites are harder to find because they disappear everyday but there are still some out there. I find it eerie to come across websites that will dated 1997 and have info relevant to that year. It makes you wonder what happened to the webmaster. Did they forget about it, lose interest or perhaps even die?
Finally what brought on the random thought was my joining of the member since 2005 club. It's been almost five years for me which means almost 8 years for others. How does the time go by so fast? SG is popular, so much an ingrained part of so many peoples lives that it will be around for a long, long time. So it is possible for there to be a member since 2022 group or something like. Just imagine in 2022 a new 18 year old member joins having been born in 2004. Here they are on this website older than themselves, chatting with some of the original SG members who have been with the site for 20 years. At the time you could have been 23 and new to SG in 2002 and now here you are, still an active member at 43. Imagine all the life changing events that have occurred outside the site. Now think of the ones inside the site. Who knows, maybe this form of communication will be outdated by then. Maybe groups will no longer exist, maybe the photos will be 3D or maybe it will only be videos since 2019.
My whole point is that technology is so amazing and it is here to stay. As I get older, so does it but in an ever changing format. Certain things stick and some do not. Hell, I had a pager in 1997, who besides maybe a doctor and/or drug dealer has one now. I dare to say even the drug dealer has evolved, but who knows. I look forward to seeing where this site and others go in the next 10 years and also take joy in looking back with a nostalgic look to where it once was.