March the 11th 1989, write that down as its the day the Internet was born. 32 years old and still going strong.
Ok, the pervasive advertising is becoming a real bore, social-media platforms are the sewers, and privacy has all but gone as netizens are bought and sold like cattle.
But, apart from that, The Internet is in rude health and enjoying its fourth decade. For those lucky enough to be around in the heady early days of the 1990s it’s worth taking stock of how immeasurably the ‘net has improved their lives and the lives of so many around the globe.
The changes have been monumental: Free knowledge for all, remote learning, location-independent working, smart-technology on the cloud, connecting countries, cultures, and families to name a handful. The world is a good deal smaller than it once was, and a good deal better.
Of course, summer next year sees The Internet turn one-third of a century old. One wonders what the following 33 years will bring. And, the question on every Gen-Xers lips is, “by 2055 will we have flying cars. Give me flying cars NOW”.
