Age 6 (maybe 7?)
I get my first email address. My journey to start understanding this WWW thing begins properly.
Age 11
My computer/internet usage time is limited by two factors: Sharing a single desktop computer with my sister, and school/homework. Still, I find time to use it.
I research for a presentation all about dolphins, complete with videos and .wav sounds that I download from different webpages. Pretty sure it’s an awesome presentation.
Age 12
I win third place at a website building competition.
My secret to the reason why I learned to code? Neopets.
Age 14
I discover so many things that are just starting to get its footing: Blogger, LiveJournal, hosting on someone’s cool-sounding domain as a subdomain; fandom forums; Yahoo Groups; Friendster, e-greetings; Napster and then later, LimeWire; Geocities…
I don’t know that it’ll be referred to in the future as the dot com bust, but here we are.
Age 16
I switch between appearing offline and online on MSN Messenger, hoping for specific someones to notice me and strike up a conversation.
In March of this year, I’ll buy jalyn.org. Unfortunately, like most good things that have happened in my life, I don’t keep a good hold of it, and it’ll be under the ownership of a domain squatter from 2006 onwards.
Even more unfortunately, my name is now also the name of a prescription medicine used by men to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Around this time I also start earning some money on the web — installing WordPress and other web-based software for people (sometimes not even for actual money, but credits towards hosting) and providing customer service support for web hosting companies. Everything just seems to click in my head, and it’s easy.
Age 17
I’m an arrogant little shit in my web design class, and start using divs in my code with an externally-linked CSS file, ignoring the lecturer’s requirement for us to use tables for layouts and in-line styling. I don’t get a good grade in the class.
Oh, also, I get a BlackBerry, and completely go over my monthly 15 MB limit in about two hours flat.
Age 32, right now.
Honestly, I feel like I’ve been taking the world wide web for granted.
Beyond the primary function it serves in my life, it has also brought me closer to people I never would have met without the internet/web. I’ve met best friends through so many different ways on the web, done so many things — like this blog! but also other creative endeavors, and of course, some of my work — and will continue to do them.
Pretty amazing for 30 years.