Off the Cuff

noun informal
an infrequently updated blog about life
ORIGIN directly from the mind of Jake A. Smith.

or

phrase informal
without preparation
ORIGIN as if from impromptu notes written on one's shirt cuff.

Tech Support: When I was six

Jake A. Smith — August 17, 2009, 2:14 pm
Filed under: Quick Note

Wow. When I was six, ISP tech support was one guy.

Here in 2009, I cannot help remembering what it was like in 1994 when the first “pure internet” ISPs set up shop. I quit AOL for Earthlink, which provided a static IP address  — you are a node on the internet! — and made it possible to choose the online tools you wanted rather than use only those the online services provided. That was an absolute must for a curious early adopter.

One morning I was having trouble, and called Earthlink. A woman answered in two rings, and when I asked for tech support, she said: “He’s not in yet. He gets in at 10. Do you want him to call you?”

Tech support was one person. And he did call, at 10:03.

Tell me again: How far have we progressed?

Source: Wired.com


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