MetaFilter

What's the deal with your nickname? How did you get it? If your nickname is self-explanatory, then tell everyone when you first started using the internet, and what was the first thing that made you say "wow, this isn't just a place for freaks after all?" Was it a website? Was it an email from a long-lost friend? Go on, spill it.

The internet ISNT just for freaks?... thats it, I'm leaving. :)

I've been using the internets in various form since the late 80's ("get of my lawn!"). Here are some highlights I distinctly remember:

Hanging out with friends "circuit-bending" various consoles (old Nintendo, Atari, Commodore) in our spare time.

Logging on to slow BBS's , leaning back in my chair to read a book while waiting for the pictures to load line-by-line.

Building my first computer, getting dialup and being overwhelmed by all the things I could explore (hardware, software, websites).... Oh, the possibilities.

Then a period in the middle of the 90's... when I dont remember much. I'm sure there was a lot of websurfing using Netscape and Yahoo. Yeah, I'm ashamed.

Fast forward to today. Where I'm still astounded at the immense resource the internet has become. (also astounded at the immense amount of idiocy on it, but thats another story). I now work for an ISP, trying to learn programming, and generally just trying to find practical useful ways of using technology to improve my life. (which is why I like sites like MeFi so much)

***Bookmarked threads***
MetaFilter History
Life altering moments
Happiest Moments
Epiphanies