Hump Day Timewaster: Internet Power

The link to this video was posted on Kottke.org a while back.

Internet Power, Volume 1: Flashback to the VHS-Era Web

Check out this gem from the comments section:

I produced, edited and narrated that video many years ago. Thanks for digging it out. I haven't seen it in years. We really have come a long way since then.

[snip]

Must go now. Am feeling old. Thanks again.

— posted by Steven on April 2, 2008 4:18 PM

Let's see, 1995 . . .

I was in college then, using the text-only e-mail account that the university had just started providing for non-engineering majors. Before OU created the Oak accounts, I think you had to submit a special form to the engineering department, explaining why you wanted an e-mail address. I'm not sure what the denial rate was, but I decided the paperwork was too much of a hassle, especially since at the time I didn't really have anybody to e-mail except my half-dozen or so enginerd pals.

I also had a journalism class around then that used the first edition of this book to introduce us to Archie and Veronica and Gopher:



I still have my copy of The Online Journalist. In fact, my practically pristine copy is on my bookshelf at the office. I think I brought it in about eight years ago when we were writing a lesson plan about critically evaluating the accuracy/reliability of Web sites. I wanted to verify a few items in the glossary, and even in 2000 we didn't have high-speed Internet access for every computer in the office, so I actually had to look something up in a book (The horror!) instead of Googling it.

Strolling even further down memory lane . . .

One of my other journalism classes that year was Southeast Ohio magazine. I took it twice: first I was the design director and then I was a reporter. The covers of those issues (Spring 1995 and Fall 1995) are posted in the magazine's archives, but the actual contents are not available online. (That's okay, I have two or three copies of each issue at home.)

Oh, and the guy who taught those classes (and who was also my advisor for about three years) has a little video posted on his faculty page. The wild and crazy beard is not a good look, dude. He didn't have that when I was there.

Between this and the high school reunion photos I accidentally looked at yesterday, I'm kind of wigging out. Must go now. Am feeling old.