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We didn't "Surf the Internet", we surfed the Information Superhighway. Before that we "browsed" like ruminants, consuming slowly with very strong stomachs, and

We didn't "Surf the Internet", we surfed the Information Superhighway. Before that we "browsed" like ruminants, consuming slowly with very strong stomachs, and sometimes regurgitating. Then we got caught in the "Web". Time's fun when you're having flies, as the spider joked.

diggan 3y ago
> We didn't "Surf the Internet", we surfed the Information Superhighway For many of us, it was more like the "Information Country Road" with the speeds we had. I don't think I had ADSL access until 2006/2007 sometime, then it actually felt like a super highway. But before that, "paddling the Internet" would have been more accurate.
- IggleSniggle 3y ago
  Yeah but you could get information from anywhere and if you grew up traveling on the Interstate system, it still felt like you could be "instantly" transported to a piece of knowledge. It was still hecka faster than getting to your local library, browsing through the card catalog, and only then looking something up in an index (at the back of a book), if your library even had it. Of course, we weren't on there for the books, but for the people. Even at 1200 baud you could be more or less instantly transported to university systems all across the country.
- count 3y ago
  Most superhighways move at 1-5mph due to traffic congestion... so it's still valid :)
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
Solvency 3y ago
"The future is now. Soon every American home will integrate their television, phone, and computer. You'll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel, and watch female mud wrestling on another. You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend in Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities." — Chip Douglas, The Cable Guy
- dalmo3 3y ago
  > or play Mortal Kombat with a friend in Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities. Well, sadly, that very example is impossible in practical terms.
  - chongli 3y ago
    Why, is Mortal Kombat banned in Vietnam?
    - dalmo3 3y ago
      I was thinking in terms of MK being a reflex-based game and the physical reality of latency. Of course the assumption being that the author of the quote was somewhere far away from Vietnam.
      - chongli 3y ago
        Modern netcode can hide a lot of this latency. You can definitely play with someone far away, though the experience won't be as consistent and reliable is with someone nearby. But things are always improving! Most of the issue is with jitter, not latency. If you had a dedicated point-to-point link to your friend in Vietnam you could play a flawless game of Mortal Kombat for sure!
jasode 3y ago
>We didn't "Surf the Internet", we surfed the Information Superhighway. The meme "surf the internet" gained wide currency pretty much immediately. https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Surf+the+Internet&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Surf+the+Inter... And a 1994 book title used it: https://www.amazon.com/Surf-Internet-Bundle-Neil-Randall/dp/0672304252/ https://www.amazon.com/Surf-Internet-Bundle-Neil-Randall/dp/...
Lammy 3y ago
We used to be “Navigating” and “Exploring”, implying deep water and unknown riches on the other side. It’s pretty apt then how “surfing” implies shallow waters in a static location where the “””content””” comes to you.
- nunez 3y ago
  I'll still sometimes say "navigate to <url>" out of habit
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
justin66 3y ago
I don't think I ever witnessed anyone use the term "information superhighway" for any purpose other than mockery of the term "information superhighway."
- nonrandomstring 3y ago
  Never. Like one badly advised politician on TV, once ever! And maybe Fred Dinenage on the Computer Programme, or something [0,1] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Computer_Programme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Computer_Programme [1] https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/a-brave-new-world-the-1980s-home-computer-boom/ https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/a-brave-new...
  - justin66 3y ago
    By "witnessed" I meant in person. By "mockery" I meant mockery of politicians and cluesless media personalities. I mean, who talks like that? (I did have one especially goofy friend once confide in me that he had been "surfing the nets")
  - blipvert 3y ago
    Fred Harris, surely?
    - nonrandomstring 3y ago
      Damnit, Fred Harris, of course. Thanks. Old mind plays tricks. Also I found a sweet "Micro Live" episode (Ian McNaught-Davis and Lesley Judd), but no mention of the "superhighway".
- ClassyJacket 3y ago
  It must be an American thing because I only remember hearing it in one episode of The Simpsons. Can you imagine if it was the normal term? "I must remember to get my information superhighway connected as soon as I move into my new apartment!" "Hey is your information superhighway dropping out? Mine is." "Did you hear Jenna had her pictures leaked on the information superhighway?"

diggan 3y ago

> We didn't "Surf the Internet", we surfed the Information Superhighway For many of us, it was more like the "Information Country Road" with the speeds we had. I don't think I had ADSL access until 2006/2007 sometime, then it actually felt like a super highway. But before that, "paddling the Internet" would have been more accurate.

IggleSniggle 3y ago
Yeah but you could get information from anywhere and if you grew up traveling on the Interstate system, it still felt like you could be "instantly" transported to a piece of knowledge. It was still hecka faster than getting to your local library, browsing through the card catalog, and only then looking something up in an index (at the back of a book), if your library even had it. Of course, we weren't on there for the books, but for the people. Even at 1200 baud you could be more or less instantly transported to university systems all across the country.
count 3y ago
Most superhighways move at 1-5mph due to traffic congestion... so it's still valid :)
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

Solvency 3y ago

"The future is now. Soon every American home will integrate their television, phone, and computer. You'll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel, and watch female mud wrestling on another. You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend in Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities." — Chip Douglas, The Cable Guy

dalmo3 3y ago
> or play Mortal Kombat with a friend in Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities. Well, sadly, that very example is impossible in practical terms.
- chongli 3y ago
  Why, is Mortal Kombat banned in Vietnam?
  - dalmo3 3y ago
    I was thinking in terms of MK being a reflex-based game and the physical reality of latency. Of course the assumption being that the author of the quote was somewhere far away from Vietnam.
    - chongli 3y ago
      Modern netcode can hide a lot of this latency. You can definitely play with someone far away, though the experience won't be as consistent and reliable is with someone nearby. But things are always improving! Most of the issue is with jitter, not latency. If you had a dedicated point-to-point link to your friend in Vietnam you could play a flawless game of Mortal Kombat for sure!

jasode 3y ago

>We didn't "Surf the Internet", we surfed the Information Superhighway. The meme "surf the internet" gained wide currency pretty much immediately. https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Surf+the+Internet&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Surf+the+Inter... And a 1994 book title used it: https://www.amazon.com/Surf-Internet-Bundle-Neil-Randall/dp/0672304252/ https://www.amazon.com/Surf-Internet-Bundle-Neil-Randall/dp/...

Lammy 3y ago

We used to be “Navigating” and “Exploring”, implying deep water and unknown riches on the other side. It’s pretty apt then how “surfing” implies shallow waters in a static location where the “””content””” comes to you.

nunez 3y ago
I'll still sometimes say "navigate to <url>" out of habit

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

justin66 3y ago

I don't think I ever witnessed anyone use the term "information superhighway" for any purpose other than mockery of the term "information superhighway."

nonrandomstring 3y ago
Never. Like one badly advised politician on TV, once ever! And maybe Fred Dinenage on the Computer Programme, or something [0,1] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Computer_Programme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Computer_Programme [1] https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/a-brave-new-world-the-1980s-home-computer-boom/ https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/a-brave-new...
- justin66 3y ago
  By "witnessed" I meant in person. By "mockery" I meant mockery of politicians and cluesless media personalities. I mean, who talks like that? (I did have one especially goofy friend once confide in me that he had been "surfing the nets")
- blipvert 3y ago
  Fred Harris, surely?
  - nonrandomstring 3y ago
    Damnit, Fred Harris, of course. Thanks. Old mind plays tricks. Also I found a sweet "Micro Live" episode (Ian McNaught-Davis and Lesley Judd), but no mention of the "superhighway".
ClassyJacket 3y ago
It must be an American thing because I only remember hearing it in one episode of The Simpsons. Can you imagine if it was the normal term? "I must remember to get my information superhighway connected as soon as I move into my new apartment!" "Hey is your information superhighway dropping out? Mine is." "Did you hear Jenna had her pictures leaked on the information superhighway?"