What did you do?

[Cujo]

This won't apply to all here as many are of an age where the internet has been around as long as they've been adults, but for those of us who can remember, what did you do in this time that you now use posting on forums and surfing the net BEFORE there was internets?
I know I would be a LOT more productive at work as I only post and surf from the office. I used to read the paper in the morning, read a lot more books and be a lot more active in my spare time (I used to post/surf from home before my son was born).
There are some PROLIFIC posters here, what would you be doing if the internet was canceled? What did you used to do before it was?

[Tao]

I used to work. Now i pretend to work.

[barbaro]

There are some PROLIFIC posters here, what would you be doing if the internet was canceled? What did you used to do before it was?

Good question and good topic, Cujo.

I'm in my late 30s and when I was at Uni there was not internet or email.
I bought my first internet based computer in the Summer of 1995, went to chat rooms (not forums then I think) and got lots of info. I was hooked from the start. I'd sit for hours and hours, online. Often with a cold beer next to me.

What did I do before? I honestly can't remember. Other things.

What would I do? I'd have some hard withdrawals, and then move on to other things, and probably for the better.

Don't get me wrong, the web is great, but I do spend too much time online.

[nedwalk]

read books, sadly i cannot remember the last time i was at the library

[AntRobertson]

What did you used to do before it was?

Playboy, Penthouse... That sort of thing.

[kingwilly]

read books, play computer games, before computers D&D...

[Cujo]

I used to have hobbies, (ever tried explaining to a Chinese person what a hobby is?) I don't think posting/surfing qualify as hobbies, Hobbies are generally constructive.

[good2bhappy]

work and sexersise

[Dalton]

Life was not so stressful before..And there were time to enjoy "real" life

[AntRobertson]

Life was not so stressful before..And there were time to enjoy "real" life

There's some complex calculation that shows that the more technology has advanced, and the more 'time-saving' devices it has given us, the more corresponding productivity has gone up but time spent working has increased too.

Mind most of us useless buggers on here would skew that equation somewhat.

[Travelmate]

I had lots of things to do. Model planes, Sport, reading books, gym workouts, worked on my own cars.
Now with the internet forums and porn, seems to eat up most of available quality times for constructive exercises in life.

[Dalton]

^^ When I started working abroad in 1988, there was no chance for my boss to get hold on me, unless I contacted him...Today he can fit a beeper up my arse and give me electrical shock anytime he want to.....I liked the old days...

[Travelmate]

^^ When I started working abroad in 1988, there was no chance for my boss to get hold on me, unless I contacted him...Today he can fit a beeper up my arse and give me electrical shock anytime he want to.....I liked the old days...

Careful your mobile phone could give your position away.

[AntRobertson]

^^ When I started working abroad in 1988, there was no chance for my boss to get hold on me, unless I contacted him...Today he can fit a beeper up my arse and give me electrical shock anytime he want to.....I liked the old days...

Exactly. I remember when I got given a pager/beeper thingy in one of my first jobs. Have to admit I felt kinda cool and important.

After about 2 weeks I cursed the focking things very existence and wanted to chuck it in a lake.

[Dalton]

Careful your mobile phone could give your position away.

Heh, In our time even my 78 year old mother can track me down...

Have to admit I felt kinda cool and important.

It lasted a short time...

[Travelmate]

Heh, In our time even my 78 year old mother can track me down...

Not hard only 2 places you will be. Work & Pub.

[melvbot]

Played games consoles, set up free parties in fields in the UK, skateboarded my way to dodgy knees and ankles, played loads of pool, karate and actually socialised.

[Dalton]

I remember in the end of 1988, the company send us a fax-machine, brand new technology in our area. The construction manager was walking around with it, like it was a newborn baby (I bet that fokker tried to breast-feed it as well) anyway it was doomed to happen, one day we had warm weather and some of the ice melted, straight after the temp dropped to -15-20C and it all became ice again, the proud father of the fax-machine slipped and the newborn lost its life....And we had peace again...

[Dalton]

Not hard only 2 places you will be. Work & Pub.

No pub were I am mate...sad..

[Loy Toy]

Not hard only 2 places you will be. Work & Pub.

No pub were I am mate...sad..

That explains everything then

[Travelmate]

No pub were I am mate...sad..

Shameful really. Not having a pub.

[Marmite the Dog]

Read books, watch telly or go round a mate's house.

[jizzybloke]

I was very rarely home always out and about doing something,

[SEA Traveler]

In 1975, I returned back to the world from 3 overseas and purchased the first TV video game, it was called "PONG". It hooked up to the TV and had 2 dial type knobs for controlling 1 paddle at each end of the TV tube to restrict a blep on the screen which was the ball from passing past the paddle. In short, a TV ping pong video game. Great fun.

[SEA Traveler]

After this and a few years later, about 1979 or so, the TI 994A computers were in their hay day and as TI was getting out of the computer area, was selling the computers for $99. I bought 2 of them. These TI 994As had lots of great games to play on them and for me it offered the opportunity to start some basic computer programming. There were different accessories and joy sticks in which to play the various games. Another great step in the computer gamming field.