Life without the internet

Do you remember when typewriters were popular? Did you own a manual or an electric? Would you know where to find one now?

Did you know how to type (even if it was with one finger)? Did the keys constantly stick? Were your fingers constantly soiled by the typewriter ribbon? Did you use a white tape to correct your errors? Did you try to get the typewriters that had the tape installed to produce a more professional look to your finished product?

If you were able to give an affirmative answer to all of the above questions, you are like me. I can guess your age too. I bet you are not one to talk about the good old days, because surely those were not good old days - those were trying days. Days when we would still hear the clicks of the typewriter ringing constantly in our ears like a resounding decimal, even when we left the office. We did not mind so much then...why should we...only progressive people owned a typewriter, or even knew how to type. This was a privilege that we cherished.

Well enough dreaming. We are now in the twenty-first century. Can you believe it? Wow! What fantastic changes have taken place. The weird thing is, most of us do not remember the days of the typewriter, or we choose not to remember then. Those days are archaic we think. Let's focus on today. We are not living in caves anymore. Some of us were not even born yet. How could people survive back then you may ask? You know what....I've been thinking the same thing too. How did we survive then? I don't know. I'm not even going to try to remember, because we need to be progressive, not go backwards.

I choose to focus on today. The day of technology. The day of computers, the internet, the world wide web, e mail and all the goodies that we now have as a result of our progress.

Let me make something very, very, very clear immediately. I am not a scientific, technological or mathematical genius. I do not intend to explain the transition from typewriters to computers and all its ramifications. I wish I could though. It might be fun...or it may be a burden. Frankly speaking if I even tried, I would be making a very, very, very big mistake. This entire article would consequently be a mistake.

So why did I choose this topic? Simply put, I have been trying to keep up with the 30 day hub challenge. I have been enjoying it immensely, well except for one minor detail. The difficulty I have been facing, surprisingly, is not with time, topics or even content. Believe it or not, my challenge has been my internet service. What do you mean, you asked? Well, I am so glad you asked. You see, for some mysterious reason, my internet service keeps dropping. I'm not sure if I used the right terms, but let me explain in my layman way. I will be using the internet and then bam, I'm off, then bam I'm on again, and this keeps happening innumerable times through the day and night. Okay, you can get that smirk off your face now, and you can stop gloating too.

This has been happening for years. I have changed internet service providers. I have complained profusely. I have checked neighbors to find out if they have been having similar problems, but it seems that my problem is unique. It must be my cross to bear for some reason...I am frustrated and disappointed to say the least.

So, each time I use the internet, I think what it is like when I don't have the service, which can last for hours sometimes. Then it occurred to me that I survived before the internet was invented, so why can't I survive now. Well, that was then. We have come a long way, and we will not return to the dark ages of typewriters. Why should we?

Now, it is so much easier to correct our mistakes. We can save our work and return to it when we choose. We can also delete our work, and start afresh. We can copy, cut and paste. There are various ways to do this. The delete button on the computer keyboard is my favorite sometimes. It is there to help me when I mess up. Who needs tape to correct our work anymore? We can use the money that we used to spend on ribbons and tape to purchase a new gadget instead. I also like the save button, because once I save my work, I can go to any computer I choose, to make changes and continue to save. I just need to remember the name I used to save the work. We can also use spell check to correct our spelling. In seconds we can have a work of art with literally no mistakes (if we edit our work properly).

Just the fact that we do not have to press the keys on the computer keyboard as hard as we did on the typewriter makes it so lovable. The absence of the clicking sounds of the typewriter gives us the opportunity to listen to our favorite music while we work. We can even use earplugs to enjoy our privacy.

You may be thinking. I am describing the computer instead of the internet. Yes, you are right. But the computer is a part of the package for the internet. They are inseparable.

Basically, I will not go back to the days where I had to write letters to family and friends overseas in order to communicate with them. It would perhaps take them a week or two to receive the letter, Then they would take a while to decide if or when they will respond, and many times they didn't. Who wants to pay excessive, or unnecessary fees on a long distance telephone call. I know I don't. This is the reason e mail was invented. I can write a message to my relatives and friends using our e mail address, press send and the rest is history. I also use e mail as one of the most effective and timely methods of communicating with my business clients.

Then there are the social networking sites such as facebook, myspace and twitter. The internet gives us a wide variety to choose from for both business and pleasure. We can venture to meet new friends, or link with former friends and acquaintances. We can even choose to disguise our identity and still communicate with others, even if we do not know them. Thanks to facebook, I have been able to find and communicate with children and teachers from a school I taught at in Jamaica, West Indies over sixteen years ago. I had some of them on my mind for years, and I tried in vain to locate them. Thanks to facebook we have located each other and are friends in the network.

What about research? If computers were around when I was in school, I would indeed be a genius, I think. If I owned a computer then, and if my internet service was working like it should, I think I would be competing with Bill Gates for microsoft. Well, not really, but I think I would know much more than I do now. I may have been a billionaire by now, simply because I would have this wealth of knowledge at my fingertips through the world wide web. I could research on any topic of my choice. I would be reading, writing, and exploring all possibilities...expanding my knowledge and simply enjoying life. I could even pretend to be in another part of the world by checking out photographs of places abroad, listening to the music and reading facts about those places.

I think I have saved so much time, effort and gas by not having to go to my banks for my financial transactions. By simply clicking a few keys, I can stay in the comfort of my home and get bank information. I don't even have to call the bank for information many times. The information I usually need is available on their website.

As a music lover, nothing has pleased me more than the fact that I can actually purchase and download my favorite music from internet stores like iTunes. I also have a choice of keeping the music on my computer, downloading it on my iPod or burning a CD. I can also download movies I purchased on my computer or iPod. I can watch the videos other people have created by checking out YouTube and other similar sites. Can technology get any better than this?

I do not have to be adversely affected by the increase in gas prices. I can stay at home and shop online to my heart's desire. The goods will be delivered to my house. Why do I need to go to stores anymore? Yes, I know that there are some things that are better purchased in person at stores, but the majority of goods can be purchased online with no problems. The major setbacks may include the additional cost incurred by the sales tax and delivery fees where applicable, but the total fees may be much less than gas money spent to drive to the stores anyway.

The internet has also given business owners, like myself, the opportunity to advertize online and therefore increase productivity. I think all my current clients have discovered me through internet marketing, primarily through my website, as well as craigslist. Perhaps I would not otherwise have met them, and I would not have the increase in productivity that I experienced. The internet therefore affords us the opportunity to build websites for marketing as well as to link with other businesses and programs. It has helped billions of people build businesses and increase their wealth as a result. It has helped many of us even develop vital skills that we need for our business ventures.

Unfortunately, with the advent of the internet, some evil has emerged. The internet has been used by some criminals to lure innocent victims, and as a result too many people have been victims of identity theft, rape, pornography, robbery, fraud, scams, murder and so many other senseless crimes. Some even use vulgar language and other unacceptable behavior on websites, blogs and other social networking sites. The internet itself is good, but we have to protect ourselves and our family members from people who have a malicious intent. Every effort has to be made to maintain our privacy and our security. Hackers and other criminals are always lurking on the web seeking their next victims.

Before the internet service interrupts me again let me hasten to add the joy I am experiencing in my participation in hubpages. This has truly been a fulfilling and rewarding experience for me. I have been telling almost everyone about my experience and the opportunities they can have by joining. It has been like a dream come true for me. I am truly elated at the freedom to write on any topic, any time I choose, and to even have it published free of cost. I am amazed at the fact that I can also add my choice of photographs, videos, links, relevant ads, polls, tables, quizzes, rss, news and encourage comments for each article. The service is excellent and commendable. I have learnt so much in the short time that I have been with hubpages, because of the forums, hubs and the comments from other hubbers.

I will never even think of the so-called - good old days anymore. Frankly speaking these are the best of days for me. I have had the opportunity to meet the best writers in the entire world, through the internet. I have been encouraged by such a vast community. It is so awesome. I think hubpages was created just for me. I really believe that. So I want to say thank you, thank you and thank you to all those who have been responsible for making this internet service possible. Thank you, to each of you who have encouraged me in any way.

Thank you also for the opportunity to earn money while we use the service. I am still learning how to take advantage of all hubpages has to offer, and I believe I am getting there. If my internet service lasts long enough, I'm sure I will. I am even addicted to hubpages now, and i don't think there is any cure. Can it get any better than this? Well, yes, I still need proper internet service, and then it will get better. Regardless, this was all made available to me, and so many others by (you guessed it), the internet.