This was a wonderful space to hang out in and share our thoughts! But now we've all moved on and simply left our memories behind :-) ...

Friday, September 19, 2008

My life after the advent of the internet(AmitL)

Quip for above pic: A shape of things to come?(Or, have they already reached this stage?)

Hi,all!It's been great,seeing some of the BUFers around,regularly,specially Keshi,Vishesh,Sam(who was going to post in 15 days:)),..... and, now Ishi's back,too- a big Welcome Back, Ishi.
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Life after the internet.To go into the depth of this topic,let's look at life before the internet. I think it began in around 1996. And, at that time, it was a total enigma. Before the net, the PC had just started making inroads, with 'mega memories like 256 MB RAM being looked at as 'high', while a hard disc of 500 MB was a luxury.

Those who had a net connection,were considered affluent. I remember looking at my cousin's PC, in Delhi, wistfully, when I would see him chatting on msn messenger,wondering whether I'd ever get net-savvy enough to chat.LOL.

Only after two-three years,did places like Baroda,really get onto the bandwagon,with ISPs like Satyamonline being on the forefront.I remember,that was the most popular one.So,anyway, I got my first net connection somewhere around y2k, I believe-with a year's subscription costing Rs. 3600/-, for a dialup, little knowing the princely phone bill it would jot up parallelly. But, as I saw later, it was all worth it.
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Yahoo and msn were probably the two most popular websites,and anybody who was anybody, had an email id there. So, naturally, I followed suit, and opened my first id on hotmail, which was ayeayeal(Any guesses,those who don't know, what the ayeayeal stands for?My cousins get confused and type in three-four ayes,sometimes and get 'id does not exist), and a slightly modified one on yahoo(alayeaye). I still have a soft corner for these two ids, just like we have a soft corner for the stuff we buy with our first salary.hehe!
A year or so later, there was no looking back. Even though the net was pretty slow in those days,compared to today's standards, it was a delight to log on, check emails,read Bollywood sites, look for encyclopaedic answers,enter competitions on contests2win and hungama, and so on. I think those were my four must-open sites,at that time,on a daily basis. (Won quite a few prizes as well, via c2w and hungama.I think both sites are still going strong. Will check them out tomorrow ).
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One very big advantage of the net, besides the messengers, was that we could keep in touch-with friends, relatives,make new friends...all at the touch of a button,via email/messengers. No more buying stationery(nice letter pads,pens,et al) , writing letters,going to post them, et al.

And, for someone who was/is a regular LTTE(Let me clarify,that's Letters To The Editor,people,before Keshi's eyes go wide!) guy, writing 30-40 letters a month, it was a boon, to have mags and papers giving their email ids. Till then, I used to have a Godrej typewriter, on which, it was a real task to adjust the postcard,and utilize it to the maximum. Today, I'm sure, if their email ids had not been there, I would not have been able to keep up with even the 30-40% of my writing hobby that I manage to do, since I came here).

Then, there's the wealth of info available on the net,on sites like wikipedia,or, English-based sites like fun-with-words , the newspaper websites of TOI, Hindustan Times, IE. And, then came the like youtube,which, today is fast becoming my favourite site, for locating my favourite songs/comedy serial extracts,etc. Unlimited possibilities, honestly.

And, of course,how can I not mention my main hobby these days,which is so 'alive' (and,in turn,keeps me alive and motivated)only due to the internet,namely,blogging. I'd been missing my writing hobby, back in 2004, when I chanced upon rediffblogs,and thought of giving it a try. And,the rest,as they say, is history- writing, uneditedly(If that's a word), moving over to blogspot in frustration when rediff began conking off, discovering BUF,discovering so many par excellence bloggers with a wealth of talent......all have been 'voyages of discovery', and, each day on blogs, remains such an exciting voyage into uncharted waters,even today. I never know when I'll log on to a blog and find the writer in a pensive/good/sad/happy mood, and what they'll write. And,that's what differentiates blogs from magazines,where you can still predict what you'll find in a particular magazine.:)

So , all said and done, life after the internet has been one memorable event, continues to remain so, and, I hope,will continue being so in the coming years.Things can only get better,as they say.

14 comments:

  1. Hi,
    Life has definitely CHANGED after internet.
    Now people are not able to initiate a conversation with a colleague whom you see in office everyday but are willing to get intimate with total strangers on the net.
    Regards,
    Salil

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  2. Contests2win.com has changed quite a bit. We just celebrated our 10th anniversary. Will be great to have an old user back!

    Cheers,
    Ekalavya
    Product Manager, C2W.com

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  3. yes its so good to see Ish bak...she's the best!


    **for someone who was/is a regular LTTE

    OMG lol! I was in shock til I found out the real meaning behind it 2 secs later. :):)


    ur an avid writer....and an explorer...just like me. thats why we see the POSITIVES of the Internet and Blogging. Some ppl think we r crazy or hv no other life. But the truth is, those ppl dun know how much KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM the Internet provides! If only their interest was that. :)


    Keshi.

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  4. very nice blog...

    http://shayrionline.blogspot.com/

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  5. that's a nice blog.. indeed 'thing can only get better'.. may b in this case..

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  6. hey amit :)

    i know i know i took my time to get here!

    as always ur post made for a very interesting read! and most of it is what I just have to agree with...my experience with the advent of the internet is quite similar u see :)

    i'll try and get a post up soon...the problem is my inability to manage my time well. plus i keep getting distracted by the kids and that ruins my flow of thought!

    and...what's with ppl dropping their blog links here...i hate it when they have nuthin concrete to say and use this space to get readers to their space...!!

    anyway... wl be arnd... tk cre...

    :)

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  8. First timer here, but as usual a very interesting spot :) life before internet i dont think i remember at all, well i do, at least the librarian at MG library would, having constantly to throw me out -- but then NID took over, I remember ICQ being the first chat applet, even before anythign else, and i also remember the telnet years.. :) Life after internet has become smaller and to certain extent easier, with access to everything one can imagine, i mean i just got this brand new laptop and wanted to remove thekeyboard (dont ask why) and the service station couldnt helpme but i googled, and i not only got all instruction step by step, i got pictures, so well i like life after internet :)
    and well i like it even more when i can see my mom on the cam every day, being so far from her.. god bless www!!

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  9. i totally agree amit! i can't imgaine my life without google and wikipedia and BUF n limewire and youtube!!! lol

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  10. Hi,Salil-haha-you're so right- initiating a conversation with someone on the net is much easier than real life,sometimes..perhaps because you don't feel 'exposed' to them from the angle of bitching,et al.Tks for the comment.
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    Hi,Eklavya-what a pleasant surprise to see your comment.I did visit c2w and was thrilled to see the mega changes..I've already played a game or two there..I'm sure other other BUFers will also check out this fun site.
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    Hi,Keshi-LOL- I knew u'd be in shock for a moment..Did you read the CB(Oct) letter I emailed to you?
    Yup, I agree- we both see the positive side of the internet and blogging...and,frankly,I don't think it matters,whether people like it or think me/us crazy-they don't know what they're missing.Tks!:)
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    Hi,Saurabh-tks for the comment..yes,things can only get better!
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    Hi,Ishita-great to see ur comment..and,welcome back to BUF,which will always remain your brainchild..I can imagine the tough job you have,managing your time,and,at the same time,I'm sure you'll come out tops,for now and future time management challenges.Will wait for your post!As I told Keshi,we'll keep the 'flag flying',and wait for you and the others to return..I see Mich's post today..so nice!:)
    Even I dislike people dropping in and leaving their blog ids,as the only comment.Wonder why they do it?But,I still wouldn't want the 'members only' comments section to be there...would you?
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    Hi,Dreams-that was a lovely comment..and,I totally see your point on the benefits of the net for you...good going,and,hey,why don't you join BUF?You're most welcome..just drop an email to the id mentioned at the top!
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    Hi,Mich-you just covered some of my favourite sites,besides BUF and my favourite blogs- i.e. google,wikipedia,limewire and youtube!:)

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  11. For those who just left their blog ids,and,unrelated comments,please-avoid doing so here..it just puts us off so that we;d avoid visiting your blog.

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  12. I agree.

    yes I did skim over that doc but I didnt read the entire thing..will do soon.

    tnxx Amit!

    Keshi.

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  13. Hi,Keshi*eyes wide open*--you mean,you didn't see my pic,and,that short 3-4 lines letter?How MEAN!!!!!!!!!!*makes dramatic,hurt gesture!*

    ReplyDelete