10-07-2024, 02:20 PM
I started a bit earlier than most... because I'm so damned old. I'll spare you the tales of an 8-bit wonderland and 8 1/2 inch floppies... or machines using audio (cassette) tape to transfer programs that ran strictly one at a time... or having to frontload chunks of your operating system tasks with each boot-up.
Anyway, most folks don't consider it on-line unless it's Internet... but there was a time when it wasn't even considered "networking" as it was pretty much point-to-point between users.
My actual first online access came earlier than most... (an accident of career choice)... well before "laser" discs were being distributed willie-nilly like grocery store junk mail.
But the use was mundane and of a "testing 1 2 3" nature for the most part... nothing fun. We called it 'live electronic messaging.' ZERO graphical interface... pretty ugly.
Anyway, most folks don't consider it on-line unless it's Internet... but there was a time when it wasn't even considered "networking" as it was pretty much point-to-point between users.
My actual first online access came earlier than most... (an accident of career choice)... well before "laser" discs were being distributed willie-nilly like grocery store junk mail.
But the use was mundane and of a "testing 1 2 3" nature for the most part... nothing fun. We called it 'live electronic messaging.' ZERO graphical interface... pretty ugly.
