Nostalgic moments...

There is nothing like suddenly comparing the now to the once was – then. What got me thinking about this was... the chat room.

Now it has not been a secret that I use chat rooms to entertain myself. I am a lone parent and yea I do not have much of a social life. So I find an outlet on chat. I act within my alter ego and from the safety of my computer. (My alter ego is called L0llyp0p!) <- fitting don’t you think?  I have used chat rooms since the Internet was first up and running. You know when it cost a penny a minute (on Netscape) and you had a 56k dial up modem. Remember the god awful noise that bastard thing used to make when dialling up OMG, it was never quiet either so you could not secretly nip online for some cyber! Cyber was pretty hot back then LOL! No way! And of course when the one phone line you had was constantly engaged to anyone trying to contact you. And when people tried to call they seemed to knock you offline or slow it down even more than it was before hand. Now we are talking some slow arse Internet back then. Took a day to download the file the size of a current song... slow omg LAG

Oh the days

These days the chat rooms are just not holding the same fine calibre of people as the rooms used to. Chat used to be more social no one would even dare think to meet up with strangers they had not seen or spoke to before. Back in the day, mobile phones were not so popular unless you were a yuppie. They were truly expensive brick type affairs. Most people that had one often were found to have a ‘filofax’ (LOL I know someone that had one of them!)  Web cams were still an idea in someone genius’s brain oh and scanners – maybe there was scanners but the file would have been humongous. Way back when ( I am feeling old now leave me alone) The room was so popular you have to run a programme to help you enter the room, often this meant kicking out someone that was not as important. A place where everybody knew your real name! (Cheese)  Now the chat rooms are based on location so it’s easy to ‘hook up’ with someone in your area. Not many people go online just to chat to other people that are in the same sort of situation as them. It is all about the flirt. Everyone has to get their flirt on.  Sure sure some attention never hurt anybody. But still it seems to be yet another thing in the world that has become an over sexed environment.

Whilst taking this lovely walk down memory lane I had a sudden onset of shudders. Reminded of the days where I seemed to fuck up even more than I do now. I can blame being younger of course. I started to wonder about ICQ, anyone remember that? And the very annoying ‘eeeoooo’ when you got a message. ICQ was the dog’s bollocks back then. But only to a true hard core chat addict. Addict!! Yes that was what you were back then as well. Not many people had the luxury of having a computer and if you remember those who didn’t have one. They often had a very strong option about the net as a whole. Amazing as you may find those same people carry a blackberry or iphone on them constantly checking in on face book! Hypocrites? I think so too, as the whole world and his brother now engage on some form of chat online. Even my own parents! * cough*

I just think it is quite funny that back in the day I was ripped a new one for the amount of time I spent on my computer. Yet I am behind in the technology sense when it comes to my mobile phone! I still have to log into a computer to check email and face book! Ha-ha oh how the tables have turned.

Anyway I feel the chat rooms have changed so much. They are not as good as they used to be. Sometimes I miss the old times. I have made really good friends online, some more recently through writing and writing forums and my studies with the OU. Face book and getting in touch with friends from school ( shudders – that’s a whole different blog) and no doubt more friends to be made in the future (hey Nickie your so fine your so fine you blow my mind hey Nickie- hey Nickie – its not interesting unless its about me!  ) we WILL come back to you later ;)..... I still enjoy the chat room banter now and then. I find myself revealing even less of my true self on there as it feels like chat is now all about ego.  After such a long time on chat you can pick up a real sense of online chatters from the things they say. ( basically you can sense that they are full of shit straight of the bat)  but these people online now are new to the game and think typing a few charming words will automatically have you melting on your knees in front of them. I go online just to witness this act! Comical!! Classic – helps me understand human behaviour and psychology – very interesting!

I am rambling and I have lost my way ... so I will be back to pick it up later.