I remember the first time I read Travels with Samantha. I was still fairly new to the Internet and all that it could offer. It had to be back in 1996 or 1997, and I fell in love with Philip Greenspun’s photography. It was part of my drive to put up a website, and part of my inspiration to want to share my photos online. When working on a website and really wanting to use one of his photographs, I wrote to him – I figured he would say no. Instead he generously said yes, and shared his talent with me. It has always stuck with me, and I still feel that is how the web should work. People should ask – and other people should say yes.
I still find myself sucked in to reading “Travels with Samantha” every time I come across it, and every time it takes my breath away, even 6 or 7 years later. Philip had dinner Saturday night with Dave Winer, and it was Dave’s post that lead me back to Philip’s site tonight. Philip shared his thoughts on blogs today. My thoughts? I would love to see a blog written by Philip, especially if there were photographs…
Who were your early inspirations? What got you online? What made you stay?
10 replies on “I Remember the First Time…”
OH I know philip greenspun, not personally but his work. 🙂
In the early days of the web I mostly used to do research, at that time I was in nursing school and that took most of my time, I do remember wanting to learn how to make webpages, but I was to busy at that time, mostly I love computers, and what the internet has to offer. Now that I have a little time I am learning how HTML and hopefully soon graduate to bigger better things, all as a hobby. 🙂
I was inspired to get online by a good friend of mine who was also responsible for getting me hooked on computers.
That was back in about ’93, and I decided to stay because of all the amazing things you could find and all the wonderful people you could meet. My early inspirations were people like Moyra (no active site now) who made amazing web graphics and inspired me to start making my own.
I’m awed by all the amazing talent that is out there, much of it we wouldn’t know about if not for the internet, which shows how the web can open up doors that previously, you never knew existed.
Now I’ve written a book of a comment, I’ll stop. heh 🙂
Oh my goodness! Moyra was one of my favorites also. Faith and Kitty too – I’m so glad they still have active sites!
okay, this is really lame, but the book Harriet The Spy really got me interested in journalism and eventually weblogging. Also, when I first got into blogging, I thought Blogger was the only thing out there, then I came upon Wil Wheaton’s site and it changed my life because it introduced me to Moveable Type.
I think there are two very important (and different) questions there. Being on-line in the first place is one thing, and then blogging is another thing again.
I’ve been on-line for 14/15 years. Used it for e-mail, research, games, that kind of thing. But then last summer I saw Cheyenne on CFH and learned about this thing called blogging. The way I use the net changed in big ways! It used to just be information, but now it’s people and friends and ideas. And I can’t get enough of it!
For the life of me I can’t remember what I did for those early years online. I remember vaguely I really liked forums. What keeps me online now is email, blogs, and AIM.
Somehow and I can’t remember exactly how I started reading the Lockergnome newsletter…this led me to the blog by Chris Pirillo and so on and so on and so on…and made me want to create my own and be part of the community I was “blurking” around.
Thank you so much, Christine for sharing that link to Travels with Samantha – I’d never heard of it (shame on me) before so I just started reading it – and I love it. This is an amazing book so far (only read the first chapter!) and I just wanted to thank you for introducing it to me!
HI Sweet lady!
Our mutal friend Tracy is who got me interested in blogging. I had been reading my cousin’s blogs, and basically enjoying them – but not really wanting to stick myself out there – then I got to reading Tracy’s blog and decided that I wanted to try. So I am VERY new to this, but am enjoying the ride!
I love your photography! It is inspiring me to want to pick back up my camera and try some new things…. maybe I will…soon.
Let’s see, I’ve been online since ’94 I think, started with chatting, learned some HTML and built my first personal site in Angel fire, then moved up to goecities, the the free space of my provider then to domain ownership. I don’t know how many I’ve owned over the years. I decided I wanted to design websites and got hooked up with the “Women Designers Group”, and a few of them had blogs, … well I had to have one too, … that was almost 2 years ago … Moyra’s Jewels were definitely an inspiration …. 🙂
I first found you last summer I think it was, when you put out a “call” for pics of feet *LOL* …. 🙂