Generation Internet

This is not about history of Internet.  There have been enough books and papers written about how this medium of communication first originated and became popularized.  This is about confusion. 

The Internet as we see it now is it is a” Short an open architecture networking.”  It is this networking that has created a whole new way of communication, shoving aside trained pigeons, personal messengers, traditional mail, even phones. 

When I visit home and ask my little sister how her little boyfriend is, she tells me that they’re MSNing right now and things are fine. Should I be concerned?  Are they involved in some sort of a dangerous sexual practice?   Will they be okay?  My little sister is bored with my old-fashioned thinking and demonstrates how she can communicate simultaneously with her boyfriend, her sixteen best friends and somebody named Bleeding_Cactus_Rose through Instant Messenger.  MSNing.

I’m assuming that since you’re reading this article on line you’re probably quite aware of Instant Messanger but if not, well, it basically works like ICQ.  Okay.  Remember ICQ? Back in my day it was a separate program where you could chat with dozens of people in different ”rooms”, anonymously.  It still exists and it does the same thing.  It just looks better and you can do lots of fantastic things with it – the same things you can do with MSN – like play online games, draw and send picture, send music files, etc. 

I probably sound old to you, don’t I?  I’m not that old.  I’ve been using Internet since 1996 and am quite familiar with it.  I can even do a basic web design.  Photoshop.  Create my own forum.  I used to have a blog (It’s an online diary.  This is a whole separate story.  Some other time).  I can e-mail maximum five friends in less than five minutes, check out somebody’s pictures from Cuba in nanosecond, download latest Detroit DJ set.  But I am old because I have never really entered the scary territory of Ipods, Online Watches, Wireless Routers, Handheld PCs, Mini DVD Players,MP3 Players, GPS Receivers…  

Here I will demonstrate to you how old I really am. 

So  I do a little Google research and enter: ”Internet tools Ipods etc”.  I find a website with this question posted on it:  

”Hello there,

Are there any out-of-the box handhelds that run Linux/Apache/MYSQL and

PHP?  Does Redhat, Suse, or Gentoo support any handhelds?

I know the Zaurus comes close, but I’ve heard people have problems

running LAMP applications on it.”

Um.  No.

So what is my point?  My point is that it is very hard to catch up with this Internet thing if you are a regular (old) person like me, who actually, works on the Internet, day after day.  Who knows the best combination of words that will yield good search results.  And who actually, does own a typewriter but has been known to be utterly puzzled by a fax machine as something seen in the days of her mother perhaps, but who uses those things?

My little sister is the Generation Internet.  She was born after 1985 and has used computer even before she learned to walk properly.  She probably sent a hand-written letter long time ago to some friend in Tajikistan (This friend visited as an exchange student) but must’ve realized that was a mistake because when I look at her handwriting now I am convinced she could rival Jackson Pollock easily with her calligraphic skills.  But.  She types 60WPM.  My little sister and her little friends, including Bleeding_Cactus_Rose, are fast cats and they are Generation Internet.    My sister will rather MSN her boyfriend than actually meet with him.  She will get raunchy and bold in her texts but when I listen to them in person they sound like five graders, all shy and cute.  Her university homework has to be regurgitated through an online plagiarizing-detector virtual deity called Turnitin, her courses can only be registered online.  She e-bays, e-mails and sends emoticons.  

Me?  I just feel more and more  :-$

(confused)