The Internet I Grew Up With Doesn’t Exist Anymore

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. 2001: The Family Computer 3. 2004: Exploring the Web 4. 2007: Living There 5. 2012: When Everything Started Changing 6. 2026: Logging On Today 7. The Internet I Miss 8. Closing 1. Introduction The internet; what can I say? It's the driving force behind nearly the whole world today - economies, countries, communities, and more run solely on the internet these days. However, it wasn't always this way. Once upon a time, the internet didn't even exist. When it did, the internet was a place. It was a place you went. You selectively chose to visit the internet, based on your own free will. If you wanted to visit a chat room, or perhaps preview a fancy new Flash game, you visited the internet for a few minutes in the evening before going back to your family or friends. This has changed dramatically in the last 20-30 years. Today, it's 2026 and woven into nearly every part of daily life for the majority of the Earth's population. Let's do a quick checklist…