Our fearless leader wanted to know what I use the Internet for, besides running up bills; he means, "standard intro, please, Janet!"
Do I have the temerity to step out boldly after all our resident techno-wizards? I do have a B.Sc. in Mathematics. I did take Computer Science decades ago when professors drew trees and thingies on the blackboard and we key punched our programming brilliance onto (what else) key punch cards to feed the great maw of the mysterious main frame in its oh so cool room. It liked cool; it didn't like us; it didn't like our cards. Kept spitting them back at us.
More worthwhile to play computer. Perplexed personified were judges at a Halloween party at Queens University (Kingston, Ontario) when three computers showed up: Papa Computer, Mama Computer and Baby Computer! Shiny tin foil covered each big cardboard box, which covered almost all of each of the three of us. Flashlights, whirring of winding toys, clicks and clacks from this and that, and we had top prize. One top prize, but we three took that one top prize. Ah well,....
Autumn of 1996 now, and I say to my aging workhorse of an IBM 286: "You've come a long way, baby!"
So, what do I use the Internet for? This and that and many other things. I am, by profession, a freelance journalist (and research specialist) always looking for fodder for articles. I find a market for articles on the Internet, and sleuthing about lists such as CyberCity is very informative and educational. These lists are a great venue to ask questions; you will see more from me as the days go by. A recent research project was on how seniors are coping on-line. Answer? They either think they are allergic to it, or they discover it is the (sorry, cliche) "greatest thing since sliced bread." If they will let it, the Internet will re-open and partially return the world to physically restricted folks of all ages.
I entered the on-line world in 1991, at 2400 baud in the BBS milieu. International nets had come to the BBSes in metro Halifax the year before, and on ILink there was Eurochat. A close knit e-mail community developed there, some of whom remain in contact five years later. The first e-mail friend I met face-to- face was in Scotland, in September 1992, even before I met e-mail pals within Halifax!
When Chebucto Community Net
CCN offers organizations the opportunity to share their information and
activities on-line, under the "Information Provider" agreement. Thus its
community information database has grown substantially over the past two
years, far exceeding expectations of CCN founders. This was too good an
opportunity to miss, and I cajoled one of the local Scottish organizations
to do that. Typical, I ended up doing all the work! :-)
This month [October 1996], the CCN website for Scottish Heritage and
Culture in New Scotland (Nova Scotia) received more than 200,000 visitors
before month end. In addition to an ever growing information base, we have
generic homepages for more than 450 Scottish clans, septs and families for
the clansfolk of each to develop. It is a community project of the Scots
within (or with ancestry in) Nova Scotia and is administered by
The Clan MacKay Society of New Scotland
on behalf of all Scots and Scottish clans. You are welcome to visit us at:
It's not only the information accessible on the Internet, it is the people
you meet. After the first fanatic frenzy of the marvel of this, one
settles down to a few long term correspondents. I have discovered and made
friends with relatives I never knew existed, and caught up to friends I
thought I had lost forever. A delightful flurry of connections generated
from a reply a Grande Prairie denizen sent in response to my query about
seniors on the net. Also a Nova Scotian by birth, and obviously an
outgoing and gregarious individual, he spent some time batting back and
forth sudden new discoveries of yet another mutual friend ... some in Nova
Scotia, two even in Grande Prairie of those college years long long ago.
The world shrinks.
I now depart for a wonderful evening with friends, accepting their kind
invitation to share with them their Thanksgiving Dinner. To each and all
of you who read this, may you also have a "Happy Thanksgiving!"
Janet MacKay, B.R.E., B.Sc.
Homepages:
Scottish Heritage in New Scotland (Nova Scotia).
Freelance Writer/Photographer
Principal, MacKay Research Associates
In New Scotland (Nova Scotia), on Chebucto Community Net (CCN), Halifax:
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~aa896/Profile.html
In Scotland, on Electric Scotland, Grangemouth, Stirling(shire):
http://www.electricscotland.com/friends/mackay/index.html
[MacKay Hall]
[Heritage Hall]
[Copyright (C) 1996]