If you're still dialing up to get online, you're in the Dark Ages. Once you've downloaded anything using either a cable, digital subscriber line or satellite connection, you'll never want to go back to the wait, wait, wait of an old-fashioned phone line. Don't despair. It's never too late to join the 21st century.
It's still the best part about the Internet. Even with the continued flow of spam and phishing schemes, the ability to get a message, photos or anything else that can be made digital to any connected computer on the planet still amazes me.
No longer are we tied to desktop, or even laptop computers. Thanks to the miniaturization of all things electronic I can now carry the Net around in my pocket. I tap into my smart phone several times daily to check e-mail, send text messages, get weather updates, read the news, view Web sites and even talk on the phone.
It's the next-best thing to being there. Thanks to folks like America Online, and Yahoo! I can use my keyboard to carry on real-time conversations. I haven't expanded my IMing to the next level -- adding a webcam -- but the day is coming, I'm sure.
I haven't loaded a roll of film into a camera in more than two years, but I have shot thousands of photos. Camera makers have delivered on the promise of better image quality, and the price per megapixel keeps dropping. I carry at least one camera with me always, and have found many good online photo sites and services.
The ability to upload images from camera to computer to Web site, and having prints either mailed anywhere or ready for me to pick up at the counter of a neighborhood merchant is a testament to the evolution of an entire industry.
I'm often asked how I get ideas for this column. The answer is easy, from you. Back in May 1998, when I started writing the Online Guy column, the majority of the population wasn't yet using the Internet. Today, the opposite is true.
So, how about sharing with me again? Tell me what you like best about cyberspace. Use the subject "online favorites." I'll share the best responses in a future column.
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