the end of the world as we know it

September 22, 2003


I've been saying the Internet is highly overrated since approximately 1995. I've been saying computers are highly overrated since 1973. Therefore, it will not surprise the reader when I state here in 2003, thirty years after I wrote my first FORTRAN program for money (as opposed to fun or homework), that computers are still highly overrated. The Internet hasn't lived up to all its wild hype either. Neither have the space program, modern medicine, or the Big Dig but those aren't the things I'm pissed at right now.

My ISP (theworld) has been off the air since approximately midnight last night changing backbones. They are not giving estimates on when they'll be back anymore. The oldest public access dialup ISP on the planet is down for the count. The customer support person has told me twice now that the new dialup numbers will be on their web site soon. Now exactly how I am supposed to access their web site if I can't access their dialups, I 'm not sure. Oh, everybody but me has more than one ISP right? Then why do I need them at all? When I called the Beach Boys to see if they could get the new dialup numbers off the web site, my brother couldn't resist saying "It's the end of the world as we know it." Indeed.

Finally, I installed AOL and created a screen name so I could use email for some crisis stuff and periodically check theworld's web page for signs of life without bothering the Beach Boys. So here I am acknowledging dependence on something I think is overrated and over hyped. Grrr. The really odd thing is that except for email, I really don't need it. Posting my sporadic and poorly written journal entries (which are still not a trendy blog), ordering antiquated books I can't afford from alibris, checking the bird sightings on massbird.... all of these I can live without especially since I can't drive to wherever the birds are being sighted anyway and did I mention I can't afford any more 19th century books? Fortunately, I already did my online filing for unemployment and ritual perusal of the help wanted ads. Yeah, who needs the Internet?

Today's Reading
Sea Room by Adam Nicolson, A Tour in Sutherlandshire by Charles St. John

This Year's Reading
2003 Book List

Today's Starting Pitcher
Jeff Suppan

Red Sox Magic Number
5


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Copyright © 2003, Janet I. Egan