What did you do...BEFORE the internet?

[DocAscii]

I was on the brink of solving the assassination of JFK, curing cancer and the common cold, solving world hunger, bringing about world peace, and I was about to settle Michael Jackson down into a career based on talent and sound judgement.

Then came the Internet...

 

[assassinslover]

Also was born in '91 and a huge part of my life was spent without a computer, let alone internet. I only really had access to one when I was at my dad's house and even then I spent most of my time outside playing or inside playing or watching TV/playing the Game Gear my dad gave me. The only time I remember accessing the internet before I had 24/7 access to a computer was when I was stuck on a game and my dad told me about GameFaqs.

I still was outside playing when I was 13. XD

 

[Illesdan]

So do you remember a time in your life when you didnt have access to the internet? has the internet changed your life at all?

in my case because of my age (born in 1991) I do vaugley remeber a time without it however really its been a big part of my life, ive pretty much grown up with it ,I mean I didnt really use it much when I was younger I watched alot of TV had my N64 and books I supose


but now as an adult its one of the nessecities alongside Energy drinks and air, Plus I dont even watch TV, in fact it baffles me how TV can compete with the internet (considering even the crappy state of foxtel/pay TV in Australia, in fact why would you bother? free tv is getting better I supose)

anyway Im quite facinated by this internet/technology thing, how its become a huge thing in such little time

I'm going to be 34 next month, and I can tell you that I do pretty much the same thing now I did before the 'net came around. I still read comic books, I still draw, I'm not as prolific a writer as I used to be, but that's just because I work full-time. I still go out with my 'real life' friends, I play my console games, I love to just get out of the house and drive. I listen to music whenever I'm not at my job and the television isn't on...

My computer, while it has its moments and is fun, is not the center of my life. I do not love my computer because all my friends live in it. Sadly, my laptop is more like a personalized radio station nore than anything else. I sometimes feel like I'm not using it as fully as I could be/should be using it, but, well, I have other shit to do.

 

[thylasos]

I played mega drive and playstation more, read more fantasy novels, did my 11+ exams and watched television less selectively. Now I read somewhat less fiction, haven't got a console in my current flat, am working towards my B.A., and pick and choose the media I watch very carefully by means of the iplayer and DVDs and such.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

You know, watch TV, read books, stuff like that.

 

[Ossian]

Insane amount of lego, video games and reading.

 

[smearyllama]

Remember the magic that was Metroid Prime, I mean my God how brilliant was that game...and Eternal Darkness one of the underrated gems of the Gamecube?

At that point, the only shooters I got to play were Starfox Assault, Metal Arms (genius game), and Battalion Wars. I had pretty awful taste, but Metal Arms still remains a favorite to this day, as the least-sucky title on that list.

I was about 7-10 when I only had the 'Cube, so that tells you something.

 

[Griffstar]

I`ll just leave this here.

And by that I mean I played Duke, lots and lots of Duke.

 

[Coop83]

So do you remember a time in your life when you didnt have access to the internet? has the internet changed your life at all?

Yeah, being born in the early 80s, I had plenty of time, before it was commercially viable, so I played with other things - We went through a stack of home computers, before the internet really grabbed us, since we were pretty slow to it.

I used to do things like ride my bike every weekend, with friends, play football in the street, all sorts of things that my dad would have done, plus gather in friend's bedrooms on rainy days, clamouring for a go on the Mega Drive, before losing out at Street Fighter. Nowadays, I just get beaten a lot more often, since I don't have to hand a controller over.

We got broadband about 7 years ago now and it has changed our lives, particularly mine. I've developed an obsession with it and couldn't be without my connection for my daily fix.

 

[FalloutJack]

Sssh! TV!

Man fall down. Funny...

 

[Ver1ty]

So do you remember a time in your life when you didnt have access to the internet? has the internet changed your life at all?

in my case because of my age (born in 1991) I do vaugley remeber a time without it however really its been a big part of my life, ive pretty much grown up with it ,I mean I didnt really use it much when I was younger I watched alot of TV had my N64 and books I supose

I was born a year after you, but most of my childhood years I've spent playing outside, watching Cartoon Network and playing console games. Fortunately I didn't own a PC back then, but I never was bored although I had less things to occupy me than I do today.

Less, indeed IS more.

 

[Continuity]

So do you remember a time in your life when you didnt have access to the internet? has the internet changed your life at all?

in my case because of my age (born in 1991) I do vaugley remeber a time without it however really its been a big part of my life, ive pretty much grown up with it ,I mean I didnt really use it much when I was younger I watched alot of TV had my N64 and books I supose


but now as an adult its one of the nessecities alongside Energy drinks and air, Plus I dont even watch TV, in fact it baffles me how TV can compete with the internet (considering even the crappy state of foxtel/pay TV in Australia, in fact why would you bother? free tv is getting better I supose)

anyway Im quite facinated by this internet/technology thing, how its become a huge thing in such little time

Well I was born in 81, a full 10 years before you, so yeah, I remember back before there even was an Internet (as such) and in fact I didn't get personal access to the Internet until I was about 18. Let me tell you, the main thing I remember about the days before the Internet was a damn sight more boredom.. Sure I read more, watched more tv, and once I got a PC I played games; but the Internet is sort of like the cement that fills in all the gaps.

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

I got this in the 80's and thought it was wonderful.

Internet is still a young thing. Ask your folks about the time before photocopiers. Or only three channels.

So how was life before photocopiers Root? Or should I be asking you how you and your father caught a Mastodon for dinner?

OT: As a kid growing up in the 90's my parents did have internet at our house, but since it was AOL it took about 10,000 years for anything to boot up.
Instead of waiting for that ridiculous amount of time I'd call up a friend, play with Gundam action figures or play a video game. On the times I wasn't with a friend I'd be either playing outside, or jumping on the trampoline.
Rarely did I play video games actually as a kid, I only got into them more when the internet started speeding up and I got into flash games.

Kids of today? Go play outside; it's better than anything on the internet.

 

[Byere]

I... either sat at home playing my Atari STe and/or Megadrive (Genesis), or was getting my ass kicked at school.

 

[crazyfoxdemon]

I was either watching TV, playing video games, or going outside and blowing stuff up with fireworks...

Now I am older and have internet.. And am still doing all those things XD

 

[Mxrz]

Before the Internet?

Swimsuit Issue, Victoria's Secret, Fredrick's, etc.

 

[El Cookio]

Played N64 a lot, Sega Saturn some and many a wrestling game round at my friends house for whole weekends on PS1.

 

[Sneeze]

Watched more TV, played more games, probably slept more. Heh.

 

[HentMas]

well, since basically the internet grew with me here in my country (MX) i can safelly say i was playing video games while waiting for that porn pic to download, or searching for the episodes of EVANGELION on various sites...

now that i think about it, its come a long time since the mayor search engine was YAHOO

funny huh??

 

[pezwitch]

I got this in the 80's and thought it was wonderful.

Internet is still a young thing. Ask your folks about the time before photocopiers. Or only three channels.

I laughed.

I've been a computer tech for over 20 years... Sometimes I wonder how I managed before search engines and then I remember there were these things called Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) where I could post questions and there were also HUGE reference books I could look through.

The old days make me really appreciate Google.

Socially, I used to talk on the phone, write letters, play console games, hang out with friends IRL and read many, many books.