It was so fun back then. Not the yelling and moaning we have going on today.
Here on Lemmy, even in non-political discussions some is always whining about the current president or whatever.
Or calling for alt voices to be banned.
Back in the 80’s computer stuff and conversation was more fun and not so freakin’ political.
It was about games, DYI, trying to learn to hack, learning the new tech. It was awesome!
I was part of it, but not as much as I could have been because I was in a small town and couldn’t afford a lot. But I def had a foot in the scene, and it was awesome!
I grew up in rural NM and was in elementary school in the early 80s. My school was not much, multiple years I had more than one grade in my classroom. We had a total of about 60 students on a high year. But we had a very progressive principal who applied for every computer grant he could. We had a Tandy computer in every classroom, complete with tape drive, and a wall of computers in the library, including two that had dual 5.25” floppy drives.
Shortly after that I convinced my parents to buy a computer, I was 8 or 9. I wanted an Apple, but because of the larger variety of programs and games available for the IBM clone we went that route.
In 88 or 89 I skipped school with a friend and we ended up at the university in town and someone got us onto the internet and playing an Amber MUD. By high school I had dial up internet and have been online since. I am still in touch with some of the people I met back then, I married one of them.
I miss when people would balk at the idea of email and the internet in general.
Yep! I remember seeing an ad in Omni magazine that showed someone sitting at a computer. And in big bold print it said, “Imagine being able to read the news with just a few clicks of a keyboard!” Then going on to say someday that may happen.
And boy did it ever. But what’s so funny that ad seemed so futuristic and cool. Now we do it from our pocket. Crazy.
I still have that magazine by the way. I should dig it out and scan that ad!