Languish.org

General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: dps on December 25, 2009, 10:50:50 AM

Poll
Question: When did you first get internet access in your home?
Option 1: Before 1990 (gasp!) votes: 0
Option 2: 1990-1995 votes: 21
Option 3: 1996-1999 votes: 22
Option 4: 2000-2003 votes: 9
Option 5: 2004-2007 votes: 0
Option 6: 2008 or 2009 votes: 0
Option 7: Still don't have it (post from work, school, etc.) votes: 0
Title: The internet and you!
Post by: dps on December 25, 2009, 10:50:50 AM
We may have had a poll about this on the old board.  I was just wondering, based on some replies in the thread about what were the last 2 decades.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Martinus on December 25, 2009, 10:52:22 AM
2000-2003.  :blush:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Monoriu on December 25, 2009, 10:55:30 AM
95.  One of my university profs made us look for stuff from her website, for homework.  If it was school related, my parents would give it to me, no questions asked. 
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Josquius on December 25, 2009, 10:55:34 AM
Second half of the 90s I guess.
Though it was very spotty with long months without access. I remember my first internet with AOL advertised as being free- what they meant was just a free ISP, when the phone bill came in at well over £100 it was a horrific shock.
I even remember at one point there was even one big computerless period where I had to go the library all the time.
The internet was a precious commodity back then, something I could only get by waking up early on the weekends and trying for a long time to dial up- there was this ISP which was utterly free off peak though it was very in demand and hard to connect to. And of course my parents didn't like the phone line taken up.
Me and my friends conned BT into installing broadband in our area in my last year of school....so about....2002 I think.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Ed Anger on December 25, 2009, 10:55:58 AM
If you count Compuserve, 80's. But I didn't, so around '96-97.

I miss the old BBS's though.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Tamas on December 25, 2009, 11:03:12 AM
about 1998 or so
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: merithyn on December 25, 2009, 11:05:49 AM
1995
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: syk on December 25, 2009, 11:06:14 AM
Quote from: Tamas on December 25, 2009, 11:03:12 AM
about 1998 or so
same
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Razgovory on December 25, 2009, 11:10:22 AM
I think it was 1995, though I don't recall exactly.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Syt on December 25, 2009, 12:23:24 PM
1997 or 98.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: The Larch on December 25, 2009, 12:47:55 PM
97, IIRC.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Grey Fox on December 25, 2009, 01:06:57 PM
2001
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Jacob on December 25, 2009, 01:15:36 PM
I remember arguing about politics on alt.skinhead on usenet back before I graduated from high school - so I'm guessing 91 or 92.  I don't recall exactly.  I was checking out bbses too when I moved to Vancouver but they didn't do much for me.  So dial up connections probably in 92.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Razgovory on December 25, 2009, 01:25:27 PM
Never figured you for a Nazi.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Zanza on December 25, 2009, 01:29:01 PM
I think it was 1995 or maybe 1996. That's when ISDN became available here. 
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: katmai on December 25, 2009, 02:03:19 PM
1991 or 1992 as my mother worked for UCSD so I could dial up to their school internet.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Crazy_Ivan80 on December 25, 2009, 02:35:24 PM
1999 through dialup.
right in time to join the last few months of the Volition BB (Freespace eh) and become one of the older inhabitants (though by no means among the first) of the Hardlight Freespace Community.

by the end of 2000 we were on broadband
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Fate on December 25, 2009, 03:19:10 PM
1996, when AOL was cool.  :lol:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Razgovory on December 25, 2009, 03:34:45 PM
I remember when I used to pirate dial up from the local bank.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: katmai on December 25, 2009, 03:35:44 PM
Quote from: Fate on December 25, 2009, 03:19:10 PM
1996, when AOL was cool.  :lol:

Wrong, it was never cool.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Josquius on December 25, 2009, 03:36:24 PM
Quote from: katmai on December 25, 2009, 03:35:44 PM
Quote from: Fate on December 25, 2009, 03:19:10 PM
1996, when AOL was cool.  :lol:

Wrong, it was never cool.
Oh come on. 'Welcome. To AOL'. Magic.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Caliga on December 25, 2009, 03:43:49 PM
Junior or senior year of high school via a BBS... so 1992 or 1993.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Sahib on December 25, 2009, 03:51:31 PM
2000 IIRC. Pay-by-minute dialup  :bleeding:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Duque de Bragança on December 25, 2009, 03:54:15 PM
November 1998 and broadband (cable).
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Slargos on December 25, 2009, 05:25:39 PM
In 94, I was of the firm opinion that the internet was a stupid fad and that BBS should be enough for everyone. BRE FTW.

In 95, I had built my homepage and was competing with a buddy on getting hits. He won, mainly by making subsections on the xfiles, monkey island and michael jackson.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: MadImmortalMan on December 25, 2009, 05:43:20 PM
94. On AOL.




IT WAS THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE OK.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: ulmont on December 25, 2009, 05:51:42 PM
Sometime around 1992, through Delphi (it had full Usenet, email, gopher, etc.).
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Ed Anger on December 25, 2009, 06:11:41 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on December 25, 2009, 05:43:20 PM
94. On AOL.




IT WAS THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE OK.

You don't have to apologize for AOL. The nerds that got aggravated over AOL needed to get laid.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Fate on December 25, 2009, 06:12:37 PM
Quote from: katmai on December 25, 2009, 03:35:44 PM
Quote from: Fate on December 25, 2009, 03:19:10 PM
1996, when AOL was cool.  :lol:

Wrong, it was never cool.

:moon:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: DisturbedPervert on December 25, 2009, 06:21:30 PM
Probably around 95 or so, I don't remember.  Used Prodigy and BBS prior to getting real internet.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Ed Anger on December 25, 2009, 06:28:04 PM
Did anybody else take those free offers of such and such time, use it, then cancel the service. Then switch to another provider and use their free offer. Rinse and repeat.       

I did that for awhile. I mono'ed my way on the internet for awhile.  :Embarrass:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Barrister on December 25, 2009, 06:37:31 PM
I'm stuck trying to remember exactly what year.  Probably '95 I think.

It seems like ages ago, but I also remember surfing BBSes and thinking they were the shit.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: jimmy olsen on December 25, 2009, 08:33:53 PM
95ish IIRC
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Caliga on December 25, 2009, 08:46:16 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on December 25, 2009, 06:28:04 PM
Did anybody else take those free offers of such and such time, use it, then cancel the service. Then switch to another provider and use their free offer. Rinse and repeat.       
I thought it was impossible to actually cancel AOL back then. :sleep:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: HisMajestyBOB on December 25, 2009, 09:49:11 PM
Early 90s, I think. I was in elementary school.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Eddie Teach on December 25, 2009, 10:10:08 PM
 :hmm:

About '96.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Grallon on December 25, 2009, 10:13:27 PM
1991 - Gods below - my first chats on Unix, before any graphic interface!



G.


Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: sbr on December 25, 2009, 10:36:46 PM
When my ex-wife and I split up I moved in with my folks for a while and they had broadband, that was early '98.  I didn't use it much at all, didn't see the need.  As for having at my own place, that would be early '02 when the ex-wife and I moved back in together, for a short time.  :bleeding:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: stjaba on December 25, 2009, 11:05:52 PM
Around 94 with Prodigy. Didn't get much use out of it with a 28.8 modem and a per hour charge.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Sheilbh on December 26, 2009, 12:30:56 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on December 25, 2009, 01:25:27 PM
Never figured you for a Nazi.
The neo-Nazi stuff's only a section of skinhead culture.  In the 80s there was a very strong left-wing element among skinheads.  The Nazis and lefties alike shared a love for Jamaican music, I think.

Late 90s for me :)
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Syt on December 26, 2009, 12:43:17 AM
Quote from: MadImmortal
IT WAS THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE OK.

My first ISP was Compuserve. I quickly switched to a small ISP who had a dial in node in my home town to reduce phone costs. Not that it helped my phone bill much. -_-
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Barrister on December 26, 2009, 12:48:22 PM
Quote from: Grallon on December 25, 2009, 10:13:27 PM
1991 - Gods below - my first chats on Unix, before any graphic interface!



G.

The question was for internet at home.  I think I was first on the internet at all in 1992 - I remember back then you had to be in 3rd year university, or in  one of some particular classes to get UNIX accounts (I took stats and was in 1st year).  :nerd:
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Brazen on December 26, 2009, 12:53:35 PM
Not long after I moved into my last place, so around 2001.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Camerus on December 26, 2009, 07:44:08 PM
1996, on a laptop so shitty, I had to constantly push in the power cable with my leg at all times, or it would suddenly turn off.  It was AOL.  Fun times.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: Jacob on December 26, 2009, 08:07:20 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on December 25, 2009, 01:25:27 PM
Never figured you for a Nazi.

Good call.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: BuddhaRhubarb on December 26, 2009, 09:07:42 PM
early 90's 93-4 maybe. that's when I got email. i recall 14.4 being all we had.
Title: Re: The internet and you!
Post by: DontSayBanana on December 27, 2009, 10:22:39 AM
'98 or '99, because I remember having the computer hooked up in the dining room before we moved in fall of '99.