# Does the Internet Still Freak You Out?



## parodi

In 1963 my sixth grade teacher asked if any of the class would like to have a pen pal. We got to choose from a list of people and I recall choosing a boy my age in Scotland. I'd like to say that it was a great experience--but it wasn't. I wrote several times to him and only got one letter back from him. I asked him all sorts of questions like: What was it like growing up on a farm in Scotland? Did he listen to the Beach Boys? (This was pre-Beatles for the USA). Did his family own a car and did he dream about being able to drive it when he was older?

Not only were his answers disappointing to me, but there was the awful lag time of several weeks with the snail mail post.

I recently found this forum and I am still fascinated and still in awe that I can instantly know the opinions of people in a variety of countries. It is finally the realization of the desire I had in 1963 to speak with the rest of the world (and have them answer.) The Internet is awesome--yet how many people take it for granted? The Internet still blows my mind every now and then---does it do that to you?


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## maxiogee

One of the first e-friends I came across was a young New Zealand woman. My late mother couldn't get her head around how I was able to write to her several times a day/night and get replies and all for the cost of a local phone call. It *is* all quite mind-boggling when you stop and think that when she was young there weren't that many telephones in the large town she grew up in.
As a middle-aged fogey I too recall pen-pals in foreign countries and the delay in getting responses. I corresponded with a French guy for a year or so, but the number of letters was low.
What really blows me away is how reference books are slowing becoming obsolete - almost anything one wants to know can be found with relative ease with a well-phrased search. I have an ten volume set of Chambers Encyclopedia from 1908, almost an antique, which I inherited from an Aunt who knew of my love of reference books. I don't imagine that my son will have anything similar from the start of this centur hanging about his house when he passes away - the idea of paying for a set of such books when the information would be out of date in short order seems ludicrous - although I do hope to someday buy a copy of the full OED. That however is not something which many people would have an interest in, whereas in the past many homes would have had a good dictionary and an encyclopedia.


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## Chaska Ñawi

This is how the internet _really _freaked me out:

Four years ago, I made my brother's wedding cake, and was having difficulties with something finnicky.  I went to Google in search of assistance with this problem, typed in my search parameters, and found only one entry.

When I clicked onto it, I found myself in a recipe forum, where the advice I needed had been carefully explained by ..........

...my mother!


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## geve

(freaky story indeed, Chaska!!)

I discovered the internet when I was a student, so in a way, I take it for granted... 
What I do for a living involves a great deal of internet browsing. I'm not saying that the job couldn't be done without the internet, but it would be done much differently - and much, much more slowly! But it's not specific to the internet, though: the way we work evolves with the technology... The spreading of text processing and computers changed a lot of things too.

But the internet still freaks me out too... 
I remember how I started using it. I would go to the computer room at university once or twice a week, mainly for e-mails. I can say that I'm still friends with some people thanks to e-mail. Several times, while on holiday, I met people I got along with very well, but when they lived on the other side of the planet it was hard to really keep in touch over the years. It's a lot more easier now.

Sometimes also, I scare myself when I see that I have the reflex to turn to the internet every time a question comes to my mind...
And I didn't even grow up with the internet! I remember when I had to do research for my homework, and how my parents would struggle to help me find the right book or the right magazine from which I could get pictures to illustrate my workbook... 
In a magazine I read recently, a primary school teacher was commenting on a work she had asked her class to do. Half of the children had beautiful papers with information gathered on the internet and images printed on the family color printer. The other half were feeling awkward and shy with their handwritten papers and illustrations cut out in newspapers. 
She asked the children to put their papers aside, and tell the class what they had learned. Well, the children with the beautiful papers were not the ones rising their hands high.


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## danielfranco

I would like to explore the possibility that anyone who doesn't have anything to do with the Internet on a regular basis doesn't get freaked out by it: he just gets angry at it.
I still get freaked. See, I still think of myself as a young guy (despite some gray hairs and new daily wrinkles) but, when my son was born in 1993 there was no real access to the World Wide Web available to the masses, and many computerized services were still running on -386 computers and DOS programs. Look at us now, only 13 years later. Shop from home. Bank from home. Go to school from home. Heck, some cars will email you if they start feeling lonely (no, really!). Socialize from home. If you wish, you can get your rocks off from home with somebody on the other side of the planet.
That's freaky.


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## geve

danielfranco said:
			
		

> I would like to explore the possibility that anyone who doesn't have anything to do with the Internet on a regular basis doesn't get freaked out by it: he just gets angry at it.


Very true! I remember when we tried to explain to my grandmother what was the internet and how come we had pictures of the new house of my cousin living in the West of France on our computer... It got her irritated, indeed!


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## luis masci

parodi said:
			
		

> I am still fascinated and still in awe that I can instantly know the opinions of people in a variety of countries. It is finally the realization of the desire I had in 1963 to speak with the rest of the world (and have them answer.) The Internet is awesome--yet how many people take it for granted? The Internet still blows my mind every now and then---does it do that to you?


I think we, people who have reached the middle age, are those who better appreciate internet in its real amazing. Young people think it’s natural and common because they have grown with it. People too old can’t understand it (as Geve’s grandma).
I just hope I will keep for ever alive the astonishing and pleasure that I feel when I can communicate with people all around the world.


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## Josh_

maxiogee said:
			
		

> One of the first e-friends I came across was a young New Zealand woman. My late mother couldn't get her head around how I was able to write to her several times a day/night and get replies and all for the cost of a local phone call. It *is* all quite mind-boggling when you stop and think that when she was young there weren't that many telephones in the large town she grew up in.
> As a middle-aged fogey I too recall pen-pals in foreign countries and the delay in getting responses. I corresponded with a French guy for a year or so, but the number of letters was low.
> What really blows me away is how reference books are slowing becoming obsolete - almost anything one wants to know can be found with relative ease with a well-phrased search. I have an ten volume set of Chambers Encyclopedia from 1908, almost an antique, which I inherited from an Aunt who knew of my love of reference books. I don't imagine that my son will have anything similar from the start of this centur hanging about his house when he passes away - the idea of paying for a set of such books when the information would be out of date in short order seems ludicrous - although I do hope to someday buy a copy of the full OED. That however is not something which many people would have an interest in, whereas in the past many homes would have had a good dictionary and an encyclopedia.


I thought I was the only one with a love of reference books. It's nice to know I am not alone. I have quite a library of reference books. In fact, I was at a bookstore and saw "A Dictionary of Theories" which I bought because it was not too expensive. I have also bought "The World Almanac" every year for the last ten years. Also, I wanted to mention that I have the entire OED. If you cannot afford, or don't have space for, the entire 26? volume collection, they offer a compact (but unabridged) version in one volume. They do this they shrinking the text down to a small size so that they can squeeze nine normal-sized pages into one page on this one volume edition. It is a monster of a book though, weighing in at 13 lbs. with dimensions of 12" by 15". It comes with its own magnifying glass and user manual -- imagine that, a book that comes with an instruction book on how to use it. Many people whom I have shown it to have commented on the irony of it. While others may view it as strange and unnecessary it's the pride and joy of my collection, though.  Maybe I'm just strange, though. It also is much cheaper than the multiple volume edition.

Anyway, to add to the topic of discussion, I also, when I really think about it, am amazed at how the internet shrinks the world, so to speak. You can have conversations with people from all over. I was in the 10th or 11th grade (1995/1996) when the internet became more available to the general public. I can remember when my high school got it. It was so amazing and I would frequently skip lunch and go to the library to "surf" the net. I definitlely take it for granted now, and don't know how I could live without it.

Edit:  I was going to add that while there the referece material on the Interenet is great, there is nothing like sitting down and relaxing with a good (reference) book.


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## Savoir

News of personal information disclosed on the internet freak me out. My computer being logged on by spies freak me out. The internet police freak me out. The incredible no. of freebies on the internet freak me out. My mail being read by a third party or more freaks me out. Seeing someone logging in to a forum all day makes me wonder.


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## timebomb

It no longer freaks me out but I remember how amazed I was back in 1990 when I first learnt of the internet and what it could do.  I took to it like a duck to water.  It was like a window to the rest of the world for me.  I now have many email pals from around the world and although some became my closest friends, I have not actually met them in real life or even know what they look like.

A couple of years ago, I was hooked to the online games in Yahoo.  There's a game there called "Literati" which is very much like the board game, Scrabble.  Often, I played Literati with several persons at the same time and they could be people living in different countries.  It just blows my mind how the internet enables people from different parts of the globe to play a board game together.


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## maxiogee

Savoir said:
			
		

> Seeing someone logging in to a forum all day makes me wonder.



Some people (and I'm usually one) stay logged on so that when they come back they don't have to go through the log0in and password routine each time. 
I've got a few different sites I go to and tend to have a different password for each. Staying logged on means I don't have to try to remember which password I used on which site.


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## Alxmrphi

Short and simple answer to the question, no, the internet doesn't freak me out, it's the norm for me, very occasionally when I'm in a different frame of mind it will fascinate me, but 99% of the time, it's just normal.

Bearing in mind I grew up around it, and I can understand *parodi *when you lived before and had to do things the old way and looking back it must be mad, but, as I've said, it's as normal as sliced bread to me


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## parodi

I forgot to mention that I still am in awe when I turn on the faucet and water comes out

Sometimes when I am at a dinner and people are toasting,  I raise my glass and say, "To Dwight David Eisenhower!" When everyone shouts in unison, "Why!?" I remind them that Eisenhower gave us our interstate highway system which most Americans take for granted. To me it is still a marvel. Thanks to Ike, when you ask an American how *far* is it from Boston to NY they answer in *hours and minutes *not miles.


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## tvdxer

I have been online since I was 8 years old (1995), and on the internet since I was 9.  Most of the time I take this wonder for granted, I suppose, but occasionally I think as you do, even being my age.  

Having had the internet at hand for most of my literate life, I've become interested in more involved methods of communication, e.g. ham radio.


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## Korena

I'm very thankful for the internet, it helps me soooo much! Especially when it comes to research and learning new things. 
Really the only thing that I think is weird about the internet, is how you can communicate with people! Like this website for instance, is amazing because you can "talk" to so many people!
The internet can also be one of those scary things, you can't give out too much information about yourself. I've heard many stories on the news about stalkers that show up in chat rooms, dating/networking sites, and blogging sites. So that's really the only bad thing about the internet that I can think of.

-Korena


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## Savoir

>>The internet can also be one of those scary things, you can't give out too much information about yourself.

Korena,

I can understand this very well, as some forum posters on a local website are very nosy. For instance, I saw some time ago when a mom was asking information on a school and one poster was answering her questions. Then suddenly one question popped up: "I saw two kids waiting for the school bus every morning at XXXX. Could they be the kids of the posters of this forum?" I'm scared and suspicious, since my child and I too wait for the school bus with those 2 kids together, and they go to the same school! I don't think the two grandmas or the parents know about this, though. But my child joined that school not long ago, so it's not strange that she mentioned only 2 kids." Very scary?


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## Savoir

I'd like to add, the internet is an ice-breaker. You won't talk to strangers or even ask  them for information (except showing the way) in the streets. But when you go home, you dig out your questions and start asking, and you may get answers within minutes. That's what most people like most about the internet and forums. I wish if only more elderly people could type and use the internet for their many questions.

Maxiogee,

Thanks for clearing my clouds.


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## Seana

Hi all

When I was reading your posts I have planned to write about such the various advantages of the internet but... you have described all the topics yet.
I could only add that I agree with every single sentence you have written. Internet is great and it still freak me out.


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## Blehh.

Wow. As a teenager, I tend to take the internet for granted until I see posts like this, talk to my parents, and realize that the internet wasn't always around.

I honestly don't believe I could live without the internet. It is far too useful of a tool to sacrifice.

(And somebody on this forum is getting OLD. LOL, jk.)


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## Etcetera

Chaska Ñawi said:


> This is how the internet _really _freaked me out:
> 
> Four years ago, I made my brother's wedding cake, and was having difficulties with something finnicky. I went to Google in search of assistance with this problem, typed in my search parameters, and found only one entry.
> 
> When I clicked onto it, I found myself in a recipe forum, where the advice I needed had been carefully explained by ..........
> 
> ...my mother!


 That's truly great!

The Internet is really facinating. I remember myself and my fellow students  in our first year at the University, spending hours in all libraries, searching for books and articles. And now, in our fourth year, we don't frequent the library anymore. A vast majority of books and articles we need can be found on the Net (Runet is particularly famous for its libraries). Of course, it's very good and it helps us to save our time; but on the other hand, I really miss sitting in the library, among all those old books... And I also miss the time when we used to exchange real letters, written in ink... Yes, waiting for a reply was sometimes very boring, but what a joy it was when you opened you postbox and found inside it a letter from your friend!
OK, OK, I understand that it's slightly off-topic here. 
What really fascinates me about the Internet is that you can find virtually all the information you need here. I've found, for example, a course in Piedmontese language. And all the people you can meet here!


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## maxiogee

Blehh. said:


> (And somebody on this forum is getting OLD. LOL, jk.)


What do you mean "getting" — I was old before I got here!

My flabber still gets gasted by the speed of it all.
Our neighbours were planning on an extension to their house.
He downloaded a Google-a-Sketch application and took a few photos. Shortly thereafter they had a plan for the extension - then he emaild that to a friend on the other side of the globe and got back a few suggestions - the same day!


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## mjscott

I remember when phone number were 3 and 4 digits long, and you had to call an operator if you wanted to make a "long distance" call to the small town 4 miles away. The cost of long distance was much more expensive (literally--not relatively) than it is now! I have been through having a phone line, realizing you need another phone line for the internet, realizing that you don't even need a phone line--to sitting and e-mailing someone on my laptop from an airport waiting for a plane--with no lines at all. I'm sure my mother misses that I don't write her letters anymore, I call more often. Also, I miss the smell of old books in a library from time to time. Old reference books are priceless--they are always most intense about what has most recently happened at the time of their being published....I have always had this fear that we would get rid of just about everything in print when the internet gets saboutaged all over the globe--and we have to start over again with a digging stick.

(PS I have so very many digital pictures on my computer that may or may not ever find their way onto photo paper--let alone into a photo album!)


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## almostfreebird

I'm a simple-minded person. Let alone the Internet, I'm even be struck with awe to see Jumbo Jets fly over the sky and another kind of simple-minded guy wants to explain to me how it is easily possible for the 900,000 pounds body to take off physically, though he can't explain in detail if challenged. So if you say you take the Internet for granted I wonder how clearly you can explain how it works scientifically, physically etc.


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## emma42

Good point, almostfreebird.  I sometimes wonder if I were transported back, say, 600 years in time, what could I teach people?  Next to nothing.  I could not explain "scientifically, physically" anything that might be of use!  I could pretend to have written all the Beatles songs, but would probably be burnt as a witch.

The internet does not "freak me out" and it should.  It has completely changed my life.

I sometimes remind myself how utterly amazing it is that I can hold a discussion with someone in Australia, Japan and Finland all at the same time, but I am taking it for granted. 

 I have only had a computer for a couple of years and was bought up in a house with no telephone and BLACK AND WHITE TV!!  But human beings are incredibly adaptable.

I remember watching TV with my grandma, born in 1899, and wondering what on earth she must make of such technology.  We adapt.

We don't have to miss libraries and the smell of musty books, though.  They are still there.  Also, you can't take a desktop to read on the loo or in bed, so books are still rather useful and wonderful.


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## almostfreebird

<<you can't take a desktop to read on the loo or in bed,>>

Thanks. I could expand my vocabulary, "loo".


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## moura

Yes Internet still freaks me out. I still found it amazing, even after using it since it began here in Portugal (commercially, more or less beginning of the 1990s). I am not exaggerating when I say it is daily fantastic, surprising and generous. In my present work it is a quick, profound, immense source of information "on the distance of a click".

But...it may be as vicious as alcohol or cigarettes (though with a lot of lesser injuries in the physical aspects). So, when I get out of here, and go away to countryside I don't want the net with me. I could go to a cyber café and at least see the email. But I refuse to do so. When I came back, I look at the PC and it seems almost strange, unfamiliar. But on the first click, there I am online again and I feel (viciously or not) that it is good to be back


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## emma42

"Loo" is a non-offensive, slang word for "toilet".


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## mjscott

I read books online on my laptop all the time in bed. Never taken it to the loo, however.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Chaska Ñawi said:


> ..........
> 
> ...my mother!


LOL! Funny story indeed.  Thanksfully my mum doesn't use internet. 

I experienced once this type of weird sensation: at the beginning of usenet forum, I used to ask technical questions about very precise points... And for one I finally found one thread related to my issue, I clicked on it with great expectations, but... it was only a question from my colleague, with no answer either. How disappointed I was!


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## ferran

i've been using the internet for 7 years now and couldn't imagine my life without it today. you're right. hearing from people from other continents is really great! nothing seems too far anymore. i've met some interesting people by the Internet and still contact with them. there's also loads of facts available. amazing!


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## geve

I've just come across this quote from Douglas Adams, and it fits so perfectly with this thread's topic that I feel compelled to post it:

_Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. _
_Anything that's invented between when you're fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. _
_Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things._
(found here)


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## janezhang88

What does"freak sb.out" mean? thank you


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## emma42

It means "to perturb" or "worry" or "frighten".

It's colloquial, but used quite a lot in British English.  I am pretty sure it's widespread in American English as well.

Examples:

*That guy with all the facial piercings really freaked me out until I got to know him.

I can't go to horror movies - they really freak me out!

I am so worried about my exams, it's really freaking me out!
*


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## janezhang88

emma42 said:


> It means "to perturb" or "worry" or "frighten".
> 
> It's colloquial, but used quite a lot in British English. I am pretty sure it's widespread in American English as well.
> 
> Examples:
> 
> *That guy with all the facial piercings really freaked me out until I got to know him.*
> 
> *I can't go to horror movies - they really freak me out!*
> 
> *I am so worried about my exams, it's really freaking me out!*


Thank you,Emma. But why do people think internet still freak them out? because of its powerful?


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## emma42

You are welcome, janezhang.  You need to read the thread for the answer to your question!


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## JazzByChas

I must say that the internet not only does not freak me out, but I feel perfectly comfortable with it. As I said in another thread, when I was in school 30 plus years ago, I used to hate writing papers, and doing research. Now for someone who is past 35, the internet does *not* seem against the natural order of things, but something I welcome, and in fact more natural than anything else. I love that most of the people I keep up with the most are from other countries around the world. I also like being able to research things on the internet. In fact, I almost look up everything on the internet: recipies, places to go on vacation, items I would find in a phone book, and even research for my papers I write for University.

If I am not mistaken, the Internet was originally designed as a means of sharing information among college professors for their research. Obviously, it has expanded its original intentions to become something very widely used for any and all sorts of information.

I believe I am an anachronism, because I am sure I was born about 30 years ahead of my time!


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