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What do you get out of the internet (besides porn)?

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Comments

  • #32
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Aldebaran wrote: »
    Funny pictures of cats.

    Funny cakes (cakewrecks.com) :)


  • #33
    thenutflush
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭thenutflush


    In my opinion, the broadband internet we have nowadays is as advanced as technology needs to be. It really is brilliant.

    Like 20 years ago, the thought of having access to what we have nowadays would have been enormously exciting and like a dream come true.
    We have:
    - free access to any music, any tv shows, any films, radio stations, sports events coverage
    - newspapers, books, forums
    - reviews of many available goods, services and establishments like pubs, restaurants and businesses
    - tv and cinema listings and descriptions and reviews of programmes and films
    - online poker
    - online gambling
    - computer games (eg. simple flash games, downloaded console emulators and games for the consoles (eg. games that would have cost £40 each to buy 15 years ago which we can now download 100 at a time for nothing!!), any retro computer game imaginable)
    - google maps (now with streetview, which is the first bit of technology in recent years to genuinely amaze me...massive kudos to google for getting that completed)
    - educational resources for second level (eg. past exam papers with model answers) and third level (eg. blackboard in ucd, where you can get all your lecture notes)
    - translation software and mountains of information to assist in learning languages
    - ability to book flights, trains, bus tickets, pay bills
    - buy and sell cars, view places to rent
    - shop online and buy things on ebay
    - search for jobs without leaving your bed!
    - skype, facebook, windows messenger etc. to talk to friends and relatives
    - wikipedia; one of the greatest sites on the internet. Information about everything.
    - miscellaneous pointless time-wasting but boredom-defeating websites...the kind of websites and pages found using stumble-upon
    - playing console games against others online (eg. mario kart, call of duty..)

    Even just the ability to google for information about any conceivable topic is just taken for granted by us all nowadays. Ha, I remember having encyclopaedia encarta on the family pc around 2000 and thinking it was brilliant even though it would be considered useless nowadays!

    Actually that's another thing; people tend to under-appreciate the huge leaps in technology which have happened over the last decade. In 2000, portable cd players were considered pretty up-to-date things to have and you were lucky to have games like snake on your phone. Now people have I-phones which perform the functions of those devices, along with many more. An I-phone would have absolutely mind-blowing to somebody in 2000. Computer games nowadays have graphics which would have stunned me 10 years ago. Sky digital can record programmes for us when we're too busy to watch them, and then we can watch our favourite shows for 8 hours straight when it suits us!! :D All inefficiency seems to just constantly be eliminated from our lives.

    Apart from the broadband becoming faster and the availability of music/tv shows etc becoming more widespread, I can't see where there's room for improvement in our standard of technology nowadays...it's definitely as advanced as I could ever want it to be to be honest!! That said, I'm sure in 10 years I'll be saying the same thing while praising the inventions of the tens!


  • #34
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,728 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    My usage has changed a lot over the years.

    When I first used it IRC was actually a pretty fun place to hang out and that's where I'd go a lot. Then I lost my internet connection for a good while. When I came back, IRC sucked!

    boards was my next big port of call. I used to read it a lot and use it as a sort of news aggregator; you could be sure if something interesting was happening someone would start a thread on it. In more recent years I have also used it as a social outlet.

    For a good while I would get a lot of my news online; would read Wired and Salon daily. Have left that habit behind thought I occassionally float back to both of them, amongst others.

    In my job, I use the internet quite a lot. You can be sure if there's you're having a problem programming something someone else has already encountered it or something like it. I tend to use Google for such queries rather than rely on any specific site.

    For the most part though I just use it as the vast information repository it is. For researching boardgames, travel, languages, history or whatever you care to mention, the internet is simply unbeatable, though I would like to use it less, or perhaps in a more productive way.


  • #35
    IrishZeus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,887 ✭✭✭IrishZeus


    Confab wrote: »
    Porn.


    Mmmm.... Porn.


  • #36
    MGMTea
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 427 ✭✭MGMTea


    Omegle. fighting with strangers on the internet, could'nt be more fun


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  • #37
    Gone West
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,374 ✭✭✭Gone West


    A lot of folks like myself work in IT using the internet, so my answer is cash.
    Lots and lots of it.

    Also information, services, entertainment, etc.


  • #38
    strokemyclover
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,198 ✭✭✭strokemyclover


    Stealing Irish passports, buying dark glasses, etc. etc.


  • #39
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,728 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    thenutflush wrote: »
    Apart from the broadband becoming faster and the availability of music/tv shows etc becoming more widespread, I can't see where there's room for improvement in our standard of technology nowadays...it's definitely as advanced as I could ever want it to be to be honest!! That said, I'm sure in 10 years I'll be saying the same thing while praising the inventions of the tens!

    We're nowhere near the end of where this technology is taking us. Not by a long shot.


  • #40
    thenutflush
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭thenutflush


    Earthhorse wrote: »
    We're nowhere near the end of where this technology is taking us. Not by a long shot.

    You're probably right, but I would be just as happy if technology barely moved beyond what we have now...in technology terms, I think we have everything we could ever want.


  • #41
    Novella
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,713 ✭✭✭✭Novella


    I have a blog, use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, catch up with tv on channel4.com and rte player, watch movies, chat on msn the odd time, sometimes do my grocery shopping online and post on here, obviously. I dunno, I use the internet for loads of things.


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  • #42
    MarkY91
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,075 ✭✭✭MarkY91


    liah wrote: »
    The internet has an awful lot of information and cool stuff to be found, what do you get out of the internet? Do you contribute to websites? Have blogs on your RSS? Even know what an RSS feed is?

    I get an awful lot out of the internet-- learning languages for free on Livemocha, finding and getting feedback about art on Deviantart, having basically all music ever at my fingertips for free with Last.fm + Chrome, keep connected with friends on Facebook, game on Kongregate and through Steam, keep updated on news with Digg and Reddit, spend hours reading random articles on Wikipedia, free calls to the US and Canada (landlines) in Gmail, post and contribute on/for various websites, etc.

    Other people I know are content with facebook, email, youtube and porn.

    So what do you get out of it? Do you make the best of the 'net?


    i love how you and livemocha said learn a language for FREE then i sign up then BAMMMMM im smacked with a 14.95 starting price:rolleyes:


  • #43
    Sea Sharp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭Sea Sharp


    Porn, TV Shows, news, boards, facebook, train timetable (I should really just print one off.)
    Plus I use it in work for researching topics. I can't imagine anyone doing software surviving without search engines.


  • #44
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Maps.


  • #45
    Alter-Ego
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,324 ✭✭✭Alter-Ego


    Stumbleupon
    Boards
    Youtube


  • #46
    TPD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,813 ✭✭✭TPD


    Communication, tv, films, music, odd bit of work through web design, shopping, banking, booking holidays etc. Education, from programming tips to photoshop tutorials. Most news I'd take in is through the internet, haven't much time for live TV or 'newspapers'. Recipes too, has come in handy a few times when I'm trying to decide on something to cook. Multiplayer gaming as well, though I don't do as much of that as I used to.

    Standard enough use I guess.


  • #47
    Hail 2 Da Thief
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭Hail 2 Da Thief


    Besides Boards, I post on two other forums relating to politics & martial arts.

    I also do a fair bit of road cycling & use free online GPS mapping systems to plot the different routes that I cycle.

    I like to travel & the internet makes travelling alot less stressful when you can book stuff online, review accommodation etc.

    I do a bit of shopping online too. Sh!t is so inexpensive online compared to in shops its unreal.

    Facebook is great for keeping in touch with friends & family living oversea's!


  • #48
    Pherekydes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 16,340 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    News, sports news and results, fantasy football :p, shopping, youtube, occasional facebook, maths research (i.e. answers :rolleyes:), online forums, online banking.

    That's about it. Porn? Never.


  • #49
    TimTim
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 804 ✭✭✭TimTim


    My last two jobs.

    Funny how things have changed over the last few years. I still remember using a 14.4k modem and netscape navigator 3 and now I'm watching hi-def movies via the internet.


  • #50
    Sisko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭Sisko


    Information , knowledge, entertainment , communication.

    I was always extremely inquisitive growing up , constant questions. I still am, but now the answers are a google away. Instead of pissing off parents making them question their own intelligence etc.


    Still I'm very glad I mostly grew up without it , only fully came into my life in my teens. (in my mid twenties now)

    Meanwhile all these kids, or hell people who are now only 19 who grew up chatting online and playing mmorpgs - well communication online is very aggressive and I've already noticed social effects on how those who've been online since they were children deal with people.


  • #51
    TimeToShine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,880 ✭✭✭TimeToShine


    Exam papersh and Marking SHchemes...mixed in with a good bit of porn


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  • #52
    Doneg Al
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭Doneg Al


    What do you get out of the internet (besides porn)?

    You get to meet sexy "girls" that message you on Facebook! But you also get sexually assaulted when they turn out to be dirty men.

    You'd think I'd learn my lesson after the first few times, but I'm chasing the dream.....


  • #53
    Snowie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,048 ✭✭✭✭Snowie


    Photo blogs. forum rss feeds on to my i google page price on gear that i need
    surfing the net looking images listening to music. watching tv.. rapid share gets me all my tough to find rare albums that had limited number made like some unkle album had 400 made were sold in japan,.....

    all that kinda stuff ideas for my new tattoo which is pretty cool

    comunicate with my friend and fammilty get creative inspiration.

    genrally i read a lot of stuff on the net tho my face book account got hacked a few hours ago :mad:


  • #54
    liah
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,750 ✭✭✭liah


    MarkY91 wrote: »
    i love how you and livemocha said learn a language for FREE then i sign up then BAMMMMM im smacked with a 14.95 starting price:rolleyes:

    Eh, you CAN do a paid course, but they offer ridiculous amounts of free courses. You are in no way obligated at all to pay.

    You can even get paid through Livemocha, if you teach well.


  • #55
    _feedback_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,274 ✭✭✭_feedback_


    El Horseboxo wrote: »
    Rape Paddy Power.
    MarkY91 wrote: »
    i love how you and livemocha said learn a language for FREE then i sign up then BAMMMMM im smacked with a 14.95 starting price:rolleyes:

    I've tried Livemocha and really like it. I just need to bloody well get stuck in. I'm terrible at sitting down and doing it. But, on your point, if I remember correctly, you can teach and they can pay you in credits that you can use for your courses. (please correct me if I'm wrong.)

    On the internet - I'd consider myself pretty good with technology etc. but I am still sometimes completely amazed at some of the things that can be done on the internet.

    When I first used Skype a year or so ago I was gobsmacked that I could speak to somebody thousands of miles away and SEE them! Incredible.

    My recently purchased internet radio is a great machine. I can wake up listening to radio anywhere in the world. The thought of that just a few years ago would have been mind boggling.

    Music in general. I remember around 1999, a friend of mine was downloading music from Napster and putting it on CD. WOW WOW WOW!! I was so jealous. I thought it would be the most amazing thing to do.

    Someone I met in America years ago gave me her "myspace" address and told me to look her up. I nodded and pretended to know what myspace was. I got home and looked here up. I was amazed at this thing. We now remain great friends. I think the hand written letters would have fizzled out years ago.

    The internet is great, apart from all the idiots on it :D


  • #56
    AudreyHepburn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,673 ✭✭✭AudreyHepburn


    Social Networking (Facebook), Boards, Fanfics (yes sad I know :P), I use it to catch up on TV programes, Movie reviews, holidays, various forums, jog hunting and oh about a million other things!

    Wow you don't realise just how much you use the internet for until you lay it out like that!


  • #57
    sbsquarepants
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,810 ✭✭✭✭sbsquarepants


    I love the internet, in fact i love it so much i hardly ever look at the porn now!!
    My new buzz is stumble upon, i'm a nerd at heart! Also great for music and info in general.
    Last 20 times i've travellled anywhere has been purely booked and arranged online, i can't understand how there are travel agents still in business!
    The internet, this site in fact, put me wide to the fact that a plumber was trying to swindle 700 quid out of me the other day, a few years back i would never have known.
    Also, in days gone by, i had to leave work/home to give my wages to Paddy Power, now i can do it from my desk/sofa, yay!!:)


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