OK, so that's debatable. But many people believe that today, 40 years ago, the internet was officially born.

What? You thought the internet was only 20 years old or so? Well, that means you don't know the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web, which is about 20 years old.

We won't go into the details in this post but maybe on one of my other blogs (see my Yovia blog or my Examiner.com page).

The internet was born 40 years ago today, when the first computer to computer message was sent from a computer in a lab at UCLA to Stanford. The message was supposed to say "Login" but the sending computer crashed after "o" so the first message ever sent between computers was "Lo." How profound.

Below is a picture of the internet from CAIDA (The Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis):

The internet is WAY COOL, dude! and that is what this board is about...cool stuff.

I don't usually blog about pay services but The Visual Thesaurus is one that can be very valuable to writers...whether you write fiction or non-fiction, even technical writers can benefit from this site.

The site takes the word you enter and shows you a visual representation of all the synonyms, antonyms and related words it has in its database. You can click on any word to put it at the center. In this way, you can find words that not only mean the same thing, but mean "kinda" the same thing. This is especially useful when you can't think of any good words for what you are trying to say. Definitions of words are included as well.

The service free to try but after a search or two you will have to close the browser and start over. But it's very inexpensive and well worth it if you write for a living (or hope to some day).

It's a cool way to find that word that conveys the exact thoughts or feelings you are trying to get across to your readers. It is easier and more thorough than using a standard thesaurus, whether on your desk or your computer desktop.

As writers we are always told "Show, don't tell." This site takes this advice to heart and shows you, it doesn't tell you. Give it a test run and I bet you'll say "kewl."

Did you ever try to remember something you saw online but can't find it anymore? Maybe it's a company that you know has long since gone bust, but there was something on their website that you need to find. Or maybe there is a picture or other information that was once on your company's website that you need to retreive.

 

 

Since 1996, the Internet Archive has been collecting pages from hundreds of thousands, no, make that millions, of websites, taking frequent "snapshots" of the World Wide Web. They are doing this to preserve our cultural history, but the practical benefits are obvious as well.Check out the Wayback Machine and see what you can find. It might bring back some memories.

 

The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. Founded in 1996 and located in the Presidio of San Francisco, the Archive has been receiving data donations from Alexa Internet and others. In late 1999, the organization started to grow to include more well-rounded collections. Now the Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages in our collections, and is working to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities.

--From the About page of The Internet Archive

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon

by Mark Di Vincenzo

Here is a really cool book that purports to tell you the best time of day, year, etc. to do most anything you can think of like when to buy ketchup, when to defrost your freezer, and when is the best time to take a ride on an airplane. Check it out at amazon.com.

Click the link below:

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There

You have to watch this video. Almost makes me want an iPhone.

Almost.

I still think I will stick with my Blackberry. But when I have a hankerin' for some BeBot I will go to YouTube.

It's almost Halloween so it's time to get out the knives, scoops, markers and paint and create your masterpiece pumpkin design!

There are tons of resources on the web to help with this but here is one that I found that blows the rest away. Note that there is a small subscription fee to access the entire site, but lots of free patterns are available that will give you lots of great choices.

Check out these cool designs for your pumpkin carving event.