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Tag Archives: internet


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Throwback Thursday – Internet

Remember the good old days, before internet? No? I do, but it seems like ancient history now. Here are some of the oldies but goodies from my personal internet past. How many of these experiences do we share?

1. Dial up. Ugh. It was so slow, and it tied up the telephone line. Some people even went so far as to put in a second telephone line. Imagine.

images2. Prodigy Online Service. I was never an AOL girl. I got my start on Prodigy and liked it just fine. I participated in a bunch of online quilting swaps through Prodigy, and really enjoyed connecting with quilters across the country.

3. Parent Soup. I loved this online community when my son was a baby. I participated in the mom’s group for the month and year of his birth and really got to know many of the other moms and their babies. We created a cookbook together, we celebrated milestones together, and one of the girls even sent me flowers in the hospital when I had surgery.

4. Geocities. They hosted all sorts of cheesy webpages. Our baby webpages from the Parent Soup mom’s group were hosted by Geocities, and by golly they were adorable.

5. Yahoo Message Boards. My scrapbook buddies and I were part of a group that used a Yahoo Message Board, and it worked really well for us. In addition to all the conversation threads, there was a chat feature, which we used for a formal chat session once a week, and informally all the time. It was so cool to chat with friends in New Zealand!

Today’s technology makes these formally cutting edge services seem antiquated, or at the very least, quaint. I wonder what’s around the corner to make today’s internet seem like it’s from the dark ages. Whatever it is, I’m sure there will be a place for me.


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Daily Passion Prompt 32: An Hour of Google

If you had a free hour on the internet to research any topic, what would it be?

daniel-s-tigerWhere was the internet when I had to know Daniel Tiger’s name oh so many years ago? I ended up calling the local PBS station and had their crack research assistant check the vault for Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood episodes featuring the lovable little guy. It took some doing, and a willing person in the know, but eventually I found out. Fast forward to today,  I just checked on Google and had the answer in seconds, with pictures. But I digress.

On the free hours I have (or half hours, or even smaller increments of time), I do a lot of poking around on the internet, generally assisted by Mr. Google. My interests are many and I research all sorts of random topics, from the correct way to make a Mojito (to crush or to tear the mint, to mix at the end or not?) to the lyrics of the theme from the Banana Splits Show. Obviously some of these topics are more important than others, and some take more time and effort than others.

The internet is wonderful for scratching whatever itch of curiosity you may be feeling. Got a question? Google it. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s generally painless. Knowledge is power, and with the internet and an effective search engine, we sometimes feel like Thor with his magic hammer. Who knows what topic will strike me next. It may be a serious one, such as how to teach elements of theme in literature to fourth graders, or it may be that I develop an interest in the history of egg beaters. Whatever it is, I’m sure the internet is full of information about it. I’m so lucky to live in this age, even if we’ve left Daniel Tiger and the Banana Splits behind.


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Daily Passion Prompt 8

TODAY’S QUESTION

 Which five websites do you visit most often?

Oh good! An easy one.

1. This one. http://www.bulgingbuttons.wordpress.com . Yep, it’s my go to website, although not my homepage.ipad-web-surfer

2. Google. This is my homepage at home, and I use it for all sorts of things, just like you do. Work, play, images, directions, phone numbers. You know how to use google, I don’t need to tell you.

3. An educational portal for my students called eboard. This one is my homepage at work. On it I put weekly spelling and vocabulary words, links to websites I want them to visit, messages for parents, and other general information. I update it weekly, based on our curriculum. There is an annual fee for this site, but I’ve been using it for several years and have tons of information on there that I use annually, so for me it’s worth every penny.

4. Facebook. Yep. I’m not proud.

5. Pinterest. See number 4.