Tag: internet

The First Webpage

Tons of things online are lost to time, but one of the most important things ever continues to live on: The first webpage. Even better, the announcement of said webpage by Sir Tim Berners-Lee continues to be available online. To me, it’s the ultimate nostalgia trip. Before the web, there was Usenet and Listserv message boards and mailing lists. The idea of a graphical way to “visit” a place was a far-out idea but on August 6, 1991 the announcement was made from CERN. In part it reads as follows: WorldWideWeb – Executive Summary The WWW project merges the techniques…

DPReview’s Shutdown is a Reminder That the Internet is Ephemeral

I’m the first to admit I’m not a camera buff. When my kids were born I splurged on a Canon T2i DSLR camera because I wanted to take the best photos possible. Those photos look amazing, but I (like most) still default to using my phone to snap 99% of what’s around me. I couldn’t tell you the last time I took my T2i out of its bag. I am recounting my DSLR tale because when I was camera hunting I came across DPreview, a long-running and in-depth camera review website. For camera nerds (unlike me) it is THE place…

Man REALLY Wants Comcast Internet

A weird story coming out of Ars Technica this past week involves a Washington state man and the lengths to which he went to get Comcast internet at his house. Jonathan Rowny moved to Washington and thought he could get Comcast internet. Unbeknownst to him, their address checker was wrong. It said he could get service but then he was told no. Insert Benny Hill music and a huge song & dance routine. Rowny went down the rabbit hole of what needed to be done. It started with a $19k estimate from Comcast to run lines to his house. Then…

Nutritional Gigs

It’s incredibly frustrating to know what you’re getting when purchasing internet service. Most companies operate in complete or near-complete monopolies here in the US. Even worse is you don’t know the price you’ll actually pay due to fees nor will you always know the speeds you’re supposed to be getting. That’s about to change. In 2016 the FCC came up with “broadband nutrition labels” for ISPs to use. Similar to the labels on all food, this would break down everything in plain terms what you’re getting and what you’re going to pay. Finally, six years later, ISPs will now be…

Dial I for Information

It’s the top of the 5th inning and the NY Mets have a runner on first. I’m sitting with three of my closest friends at Yankee Stadium, enjoying a crisp summer evening when suddenly it hits me: I didn’t check the price of a single stock I owned. Did it close higher today? Did it sink a few points and I should consider buying more? There’s only one thing to do. I pull out my Nokia 3310 and dial the number for TellMe. A computerized system picks up, I ask for the stock quote and get the answer seconds later.…