How many years have you been online?

How long have you been online?

  • Less than 5 years

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 6-10 years

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 11-15 years

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 16-20 years

    Votes: 2 100.0%
  • More than 20 years

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2
First thought: about 15 years, but it must be somewhere around 1992, when we started using the Apple Quadra. Time flies when computing...
 
I think you've set the poll to some kind of private mode.
"You may not vote on this poll"

I've been online since about 1996, so about 16 years now.

I just realised that this means that I've had the internet for half my life. Holy crap!
 
About 1996 myself, I was about 13. The schools computer lab. Later that year we got a PC and a 28.8 modem.
 
Since 1995, if I recall correctly.
There was almost nothing on the net when I first signed on.
 
1996 - AOL online. I even tried to call AOL once to see how I could get rid of the insane screeching noise the modem made every time I logged on. No luck
 
Jon what is the greater purpose behind this poll? I'm wondering what you would do with the info.
 
Just curious about peoples' online experience, and how much of a shared evolution there might be among members: longevity using forums, experiencing dial-up speeds, etc. It occurs to me that some users may never have known that tables and frames didn't exist in browsers, and how different sites looked and behaved. Same for the concept of streaming, Flash, etc.

Of the answers so far, it looks like everyone's been on for a dozen years or more. Obviously some of the younger members here won't rack up that much experience.

I started designing web pages in 1995 for example, and except for commercial purposes and dedicated types, it's almost a lost art now. Yet back in the day, that was the only way to have a web presence. But with social media sites, anyone can have a presence without creating or hosting a page, or even owning a domain name. Obviously Facebook etc aren't substitutes for personal web sites, but they seem to suffice for generations - both younger and older - that evolved with the web already in place.

Really, just curious.

Bermuda

PS: I've amended the poll to reflect the responses up to this point (approx 24 hours)
 

For me it was 1999 and shortly after that, I started playing an RPG game that let you connect to an internet gaming site called "Game-Spy" and the name of that RPG was the Baldurs Gate series of which there were 3 I believe...and once you got on that site, you could play with up to 3 or 4 other people in a "Co-op" type setting of the game and it was "Addictive". I was either the oldest or almost the oldest guy playing the game online at 51 years old.
 
Just curious about peoples' online experience...

I've used everything from 2400 baud to 28,8, then skipped to ADSL at work and cable at home.

My AOL handle is a reasonably common Japanese name, and contains no numerals. That's how old my AOL account is. I remember when 28,8 AOL dialup was FINALLY available in my area.

My Compuserve bill averaged around $200/month, and it was that low only because I used Compuserve Navigator (before Netscape stole the name) to read forums offline.

I was a No-Code Tech Ham Operator until I bought my 14,4 modem.

I met the love of my life on a local BBS, and we've been together for over 18 years now.

I never had a Geocities page.

I own a dozen domain names, although I never bought one that anyone wanted to pay me millions of dollars for.

I neglected to buy Apple at $13 (four splits ago).

I designed web sites for a short time, but quit when I realized I'm more of a designer and less of a coder.

My company website (which I created and maintain) still uses frames, because they still work and aren't hurting anyone.

I never had an Earthlink account.

I did have a Delphi account for a short time, but Compuserve won that war.

I was against the rec.arts.anime split, but I never participated in the group alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die.

One lasting effect: I'm in retail, and when our company began 30+ years ago everything came through manufacturer's rep firms. If you needed product info ("cut sheets") for displays, you ordered piles of them from the rep. In fact, 98% of your contact with any manufacturer was through an independent rep firm. If you needed a manual or schematic (hah, I am old) for a piece of equipment, you called the rep, who called the manufacturer, who then might get around to sticking what you need in the mail at some point, and you'd receive it weeks later. Now I get online and get what ever I need "instantly." I live in times of wonder.

Ok, one more thing: Most of you are familiar with artist contract riders. Imagine receiving one or two of those per day on a fax machine that used a roll of thermal paper. They were always a mess to cut apart and keep orderly, and they were always out of date. Now a road manager can email me a rider that he personally updated hours before. We all live in times of wonder.

Hope that's what you were looking for.
 
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I was first introduced to the online experience more than 20 years ago by a IBM friend. Not much to do back then.

GJS
 
1998

dial up

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZWWWWHAAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZWWWWAAAAAZZZZ
 
1998 for me. My bro got us a PC just a few weeks after Windows 98 got released. I was in love with it back then, even though I can't remember it good enough, I was only 4 years old. When we brought the PC home, we connected to the internet via the phone cable, I think.
 
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