I can't recall the exact date when I started using the Internet* but I keenly remember my dad* coming home one day and saying (the now cliched) "The Internet changes everything." He had a very early Internet connection at his office, and we were always excited to be able to go over there and try it out. This was long before the Web and anything like that -- the most exciting thing was to go on various MUD*s and talk to people.
One day, he brought a modem home so we could dial up to the office and connect from our own house. Each night we would go travelling through the Gopher* networks and experimenting with the ever-changing technology. There was always something new to check out or explore. It was a ton of fun!
One day, I saw a short ASCII* ad announcing a new program called Mosaic* that was coming soon. We didn't understand what it was back then, but it was the first Web browser we were able to get our hands on. Once I began using Mosaic, it was clear what the Web would become -- at least in general terms.
Things have sure changed a lot since then. Mostly, we've seen the excitement of new groups of people discovering the Web and making it their own. However, we've also seen the increased commercialization of the Web, which I don't like. But I think we'll see commercialization die down in the next few years.
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