What's up with the internet these days?

[teemingONE]

Is it just me or does it seem like it's a big deal again?

[Campion]

Nah. It's just a fad.

[Ice Wolf]

Someone famous was probably spotted wearing it.

[elmwood]

Web 2.0 and Ajax, mainly. Web sites with nonsensical names that have nothing to do with their function or content are also big. If the SDMB started TODAY, it would probably be called something like "foomster.com", and its vBulletin theme would incorporate plenty of gradients of rounded corners.

[Rhubarb]

THere's also a big seasonal push as retailers try to get the last 8 people in the world without a PC or high speed internet access to part with some cash and for the rest of us to upgrade. It's a Christmas thing, IMHO.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

THere's also a big seasonal push as retailers try to get the last 8 people in the world without a PC or high speed internet access to part with some cash and for the rest of us to upgrade. It's a Christmas thing, IMHO.


As an aside, I'm surprised at the amount of tax preparers/accountants that still have dial-up.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Wait a sec...Internets? Isn't that the thing with the truck and tubes that the kids play today?

[tbdi]

Not sure if this is what the OP had in mind but I've been seeing a commercial lately that is spreading FUD about net neutrality. I don't remember the specific wording because I was largely in shock over how blatantly twisted it was but the implication was that big corporations are against net neutrality because they want to save the consumer money and if congress approves enforcing net neutrality then the cost to everyone is going to skyrocket.

[Abby_Emma_Sasha]

Oh honey the internets is a big deal. You have Trump (http://www.trumptactics.com/?linkid=200516&s_kwcid=donald%20trump|503420904)

and this clown (http://joelosteen.lakewood.cc/site/PageServer?pagename=JOM_homepage)

so, yeah, the internets is a mighty fine tool. Amen and Booyah.

[According to Pliny]

It's been very spotty for me lately. Slow as hell again today.
If this is the future, gimme the past.

[teemingONE]

I seem to remember that the internet was really popular back in the late 90s. But for whatever reason, it seems to be "in" in pop culture a lot more nowadays. I assume it has a lot to do with myspace and youtube and the like, but still. Are a lot more people using it more then they used to or are they simply using it for different things today?

[Mighty_Girl]

Web 2.0 and Ajax, mainly. Web sites with nonsensical names that have nothing to do with their function or content are also big. If the SDMB started TODAY, it would probably be called something like "foomster.com", and its vBulletin theme would incorporate plenty of gradients of rounded corners.I think this (http://foro.univision.com/univision/board/message?board.id=cocina_dominicana&message.id=7559) is what the SDMB should be aiming for.

[GorillaMan]

I seem to remember that the internet was really popular back in the late 90s. But for whatever reason, it seems to be "in" in pop culture a lot more nowadays. I assume it has a lot to do with myspace and youtube and the like, but still. Are a lot more people using it more then they used to or are they simply using it for different things today?
Different things. Greater computing power, mp3 players etc., and the widespread use of high-speed and wireless connections all have something to do with it. Perhaps most importantly, there's a generation which have grown up surrounded by internet use, and it's become a dominant feature in cultural life. Random example time: often when I suggest a pupil listens to a particular piece of music, they download it (mostly legally), rather than buying a CD or even asking me if they can borrow one.

On the other hand, yes, there's a second internet bubble in the making. Amazon and Google may be profitable, but Youtube has yet to prove itself to be a money-spinner.