How your internet habits change with time.

Gone West

I was just thinking about this over the last few days, and wondered if anyone else had opinions.
As the internet has grown and gotten more popular over the last 15 years, I've noticed my internet usage habits have changed dramatically over time. Years ago, every day I used to spend hours on IRC, Usenet, BBSs, hours playing quake, tribes and whatever else people were playing at the time. I used to mess around with linux, rebuilding kernels every week and other various projects. Then came bulletin boards and broadband and massive growth in the internet. Now in the last few years I have broadband coming out of my ears; 100mbit in my apartment, DSL/WiFi at home, and wireless on demand anywhere. But I probably spend less time online than when I had dialup. When I first got DSL, I was online 8 hours a day, now I might spend an hour a day online.

I used to spend all my time on boards(and similar), gaming everyday and learning. But I've found that as time has gone on, I've found myself using boards(.ie) rarely, and using more specialised fora instead.

I use the net to book tickets, check timetables, print off college notes, check weather and read news/etc now. "Surfing" the internet is pretty much a thing of the past. I don't wander around the place aimlessly like I used to. How does this compare to other people?
Has your internet browsing changed over time, or do you still use it for the same things you did years ago?

Giblet

Porn has to be extra filthy

Gaillimhtaibhse

Draws me on occasion. Other times a bore.

Rhyme

I used to play flash games, use IRC, watch videos on Newgrounds and other such websites and actively seek out funny picture.

Now i only spend a maximum of 2 hours a day on the net, mostly reading news, Boards.ie and SA... and a bit of Bebo ¬_¬

Meh.

Tak3n

Giblet wrote:

Porn has to be extra filthy

I agree its gone from tits and ass for me to girls with pineapples up them

Jesus Wept

Tak3n wrote:

I agree its gone from tits and ass for me to girls with pineapples up them

Does that count as part of their '5 a day'?

Stephen

I gave up on IRC and usenet a few years ago. I still play games online from time to time. "Surfing" is a thing of the past for me too. I have a couple of sites that I read regularly, and then there's stuff I use the internet for like booking flights and checking timetables and stuff. Boards.ie is still an addiction though :eek:

Thrill

Stephen wrote:

I gave up on IRC and usenet a few years ago. I still play games online from time to time. "Surfing" is a thing of the past for me too. I have a couple of sites that I read regularly, and then there's stuff I use the internet for like booking flights and checking timetables and stuff. Boards.ie is still an addiction though :eek:

Pretty much describes me also. Despite the countless sites on the net i find i only frequent the same 10 or so sites.

One thing though, i'd say the reason for the reduced time on broadband is because 2 hours BB is around the same as 8 on dial-up.You spend so much time waiting for a web page to load on dial-up, let alone trying to watch a youtube clip.

YeatsCounty

I don't 'surf' the web much any more. My routine now mostly consists of browsing through my regular message boards, checking some news and sports websites, reading related Wikipedia articles and downloading random stuff via Bittorrent (mostly downloading Montreal hockey games over the past month as I don't get to see them live because of work).

Faith

I'm online all the time, but rarely actively browsing. I have boards open a lot, but I get tired of it very quickly. I look at the same few websites a few times a day, but that's it now.

Cormic

I thought I was the only one who was like this. Unless I have a particular need I find that I am just going to about 5 to 10 sites. I just don't seem to have the time or the inclination to find new sites.

demanufactured

Jaysus i remember when i forst got dial up in 98

Used to have ICQ open all the time
then we found MPLAYER , was anyone here on that, also known as hearme, later baught by gamespy and now called livve?????

oh the drama on ther i spent half my life on it

TerrorFirmer

Speaking of dial up, I remember the days when I used to have to get up at 6am just to play Unreal Tournament and be finished before anyone else got up and noticed the phone line was engaged. Good times. I don't really play games as much anymore but that's relatively speaking, I'd still play an hour or two a night on average. I still use boards just as much, but I don't really post as much anymore.

scojones

FuzzyLogic wrote:

I was just thinking about this over the last few days, and wondered if anyone else had opinions.
As the internet has grown and gotten more popular over the last 15 years, I've noticed my internet usage habits have changed dramatically over time. Years ago, every day I used to spend hours on IRC, Usenet, BBSs, hours playing quake, tribes and whatever else people were playing at the time. I used to mess around with linux, rebuilding kernels every week and other various projects. Then came bulletin boards and broadband and massive growth in the internet. Now in the last few years I have broadband coming out of my ears; 100mbit in my apartment, DSL/WiFi at home, and wireless on demand anywhere. But I probably spend less time online than when I had dialup. When I first got DSL, I was online 8 hours a day, now I might spend an hour a day online.

I used to spend all my time on boards(and similar), gaming everyday and learning. But I've found that as time has gone on, I've found myself using boards(.ie) rarely, and using more specialised fora instead.

I use the net to book tickets, check timetables, print off college notes, check weather and read news/etc now. "Surfing" the internet is pretty much a thing of the past. I don't wander around the place aimlessly like I used to. How does this compare to other people?
Has your internet browsing changed over time, or do you still use it for the same things you did years ago?

Pretty much the same here. When I was in my teens I would happily spend hours on IRC, toying around with Linux trying to get things work (rebuilding kernels, configuring SSH and Apache, etc) along with trying out new distros like Gentoo which obviously took a few days to get used to.

Nowadays I use the net when I'm in work and things are quiet (which isn't a whole lot!) and I use it for an hour or so each evening when I'm at home. These days I find that I just don't have the time, or I'd rather be doing something else with my time. I'm putting it down to maturity, and I've noticed the exact same thing happening with my peers.

kitty_kilkenny

swings and roundabouts.
In the winter, I go on-line for about an hour in the evenings and wander about.
In the summer, I only use it for work - emails and such or buying CDs.

But then I go through mad patches (like this week) when I go on-line nearly all day because I'm bored and a lot of my friends have gone away for the weekend.
I know a 16 year old who can spend 11 hours straight IMing.

Crucifix

kitty_kilkenny wrote:

swings and roundabouts.
In the winter, I go on-line for about an hour in the evenings and wander about.
In the summer, I only use it for work - emails and such or buying CDs.

But then I go through mad patches (like this week) when I go on-line nearly all day because I'm bored and a lot of my friends have gone away for the weekend.
I know a 16 year old who can spend 11 hours straight IMing.

iMing? The new universe dominating alien from Apple.
It's time like this I wish I could photoshop

Pighead

Pigheads habits are more or less the same. Oh except for grooming, have quit that recently since they decided it was illegal.