R.I.P. Internet Explorer

[elartman1973]

So long, Internet Explorer. The browser retires today

https://news.yahoo.com/long-internet-ex ... 53739.html

[PhutureDynasty]

[Bush4Ever.]

From grade school to almost the entirety of high school my family didn't have a computer, so everything I did on computers was through the school. Lots of memories:

I distinctly remember AltaVista being the first search engine I used and being completely amazed at the internet. However, the very first use of a computer for me was in third grade playing the Oregon Trail.

I also remember going (on scholarship) to [local rich junior high] and a girl asking me if I "had Windows at home" and being completely confused.

I discovered internet pornography my freshman year of college (on my own laptop) and quickly discovered what malware was and was crazy confused. I eventually figured it out (kinda) and downloaded SpyBot S&D and basically fixed everything.

I don't think computers are an unmixed blessing, but they are definitely a net positive, and I envy that part of childhood today for the next generation...having all of that at your fingertips from day one.

[Havlicekstealsit]

Somewhat related, my parents desktop was running Windows 7 when I visted.

[LNS]

I don't think computers are an unmixed blessing, but they are definitely a net positive, and I envy that part of childhood today for the next generation...having all of that at your fingertips from day one.

It’s only going to make future generations smarter and smarter IMO. Having instant access to information goes a long way. I guess you can make the counterargument that kids might lose the ability to grind out their pursuits of knowledge because of the instant gratification the internet gives them, but there are still plenty of rabbit holes for them to go down when researching something. Not that I was all that smart as a kid… but my daughters are noticeably smarter and more mature at their ages than I was at a similar age. It’s easy to see the morons making goofy vids on TikTok for attention and to assume that’s the norm, but I don’t think it is. It’s just more polarizing.

[elartman1973]

I think my mom still has that icon on her computer screen.
She's been batching about having to delete thousands of emails one by one for years now
She also has an iphone...talk about being behind the times
Smh

[Bush4Ever.]

It’s only going to make future generations smarter and smarter IMO. Having instant access to information goes a long way. I guess you can make the counterargument that kids might lose the ability to grind out their pursuits of knowledge because of the instant gratification the internet gives them, but there are still plenty of rabbit holes for them to go down when researching something. Not that I was all that smart as a kid… but my daughters are noticeably smarter and more mature at their ages than I was at a similar age. It’s easy to see the morons making goofy vids on TikTok for attention and to assume that’s the norm, but I don’t think it is. It’s just more polarizing.

Having instant access to information is itself not an unmixed blessing because of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)...you have access to way more good information than ever, but it's also easier to find bad information or information that might not be bad per se but merely confirmation bias fulfilling. Being able to separate the good from the bad is a real skill. Not in the way the elites mean, but it's a real thing.

I tend to think of it as more of a multiplier than strictly good or bad. In the hands of someone with the ability to look up good information, parse and synthesize it effectively...it's amazing. In the hands of someone without that ability...perhaps not so much.

I also think there is something to the idea of social media impairing certain parts of social skills and raising narcissism on average in the population. That's just a gut feeling though. I don't know if it's been studied at length. Ditto with reducing people's attention spans, although that one might just be personal to me (I've felt like my attention span has reduced since using computers heavily).

[Havlicekstealsit]

I think my mom still has that icon on her computer screen.
She's been batching about having to delete thousands of emails one by one for years now
She also has an iphone...talk about being behind the times
Smh

I recently needed access to my parents accounts, and apparently they delete every message, then go into the trash bin and delete them there. Maybe they're secretly retired FBI/CIA, but I doubt it.

[LNS]

It’s only going to make future generations smarter and smarter IMO. Having instant access to information goes a long way. I guess you can make the counterargument that kids might lose the ability to grind out their pursuits of knowledge because of the instant gratification the internet gives them, but there are still plenty of rabbit holes for them to go down when researching something. Not that I was all that smart as a kid… but my daughters are noticeably smarter and more mature at their ages than I was at a similar age. It’s easy to see the morons making goofy vids on TikTok for attention and to assume that’s the norm, but I don’t think it is. It’s just more polarizing.

Ditto with reducing people's attention spans, although that one might just be personal to me (I've felt like my attention span has reduced since using computers heavily).

Same. I’ve noticed that being able to sit down and read a book has become more of a labor lately, and I almost need to force myself not to touch my phone.

And good point about GIGO… I’ve seen a lot of misinformation being tossed around over the years. The internet really is a wonderful tool though, for those that use it correctly.

[gaskill15]

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