The Dust and the Screming, The Yuppies Networking

It's amazing to think that twenty years ago people saw mobile phones as a bit of an inconvenience, and computers as a luxury in their homes. Now-a-days, the first thing people check for is their mobile (that's if they're not staring at it constantly walking down the street) and we have so many different versions of computers from desktops, through notebooks, laptops and tablets. I imagine that it is almost inconceivable for anyone born after 1990 to understand how people survived without at least two of the above.

The Internet too, is much better; gone are the days when you had to wait until after 6pm for the cheap rate to get online, and it wasn't possible to use the telephone and the dial-up connection at the same time - and if you did, you'd hear that terrible scratching sound that you'd have to hear for thirty seconds before officially confirming that the slow, primitive, Al Gore invented, 56k Internet connection on Windows '95 would now allow us to view a photo within a minute of opening it or Ask Jeeves where you could find the lyrics to your favourite song.

Don't get me wrong, both are fantastic inventions, global connectivity has made the world that little bit smaller. Businesses are able to function over rivers and seas, whilst relationships can be continued instead of put on hold as lovers around the world can use various means to stay in touch when they'd rather be together.

In some ways, I think we're a little 'spoiled' in the UK with our 4G connections, and fibre-optic broadband, but it's when you experience what it used to be like, that you remember why we pump all that money into ensuring that we can always access our favourite websites, watch our favourite films or chat to our friends. 

This evening I've had a frustrating experience trying to make the Internet work in my favour without much success. I don't have the ability to turn the wireless box on and off, or call up the provider to find out if there's a connection issue on their end - it's been yet another reminder of why we're so fortunate on our little island to be blessed with such privilege. 

I haven't been having much joy in trying to upload pictures to my online gallery, in an hour I managed to get 1% of a video onto YouTube, and trying to communicate with the people I care about most back home has been virtually impossible without a massive time delay or having to repeat things five or six times. It's been far from a fun experience, and although I don't like to be someone that bemoans technology working in their favour (unlike all you people out there who click on a link eight times through impatience and then can't handle it when your screen is filled with unwanted windows!), but I think that this trip will be a lot more bearable for me if I'm actually able to do each of the three things below - not too much to ask is it?! 

OK, rant over. But....

Cherish what you have people, because one day you might be trying to write up an Internet blog in a foreign country that keeps deleting everything you type!!!!!

If only I was able to get some help from Clippy, I think everything would be fine.....

56K Modem Sound
Every Internet Router in the World (Circa 1995)

Paranoid Android
Radiohead (1997)