May 2019 hearken the return of Internet surfing

Just tried to read an article on “fakeness” online and an ad that promised to email me weekly information on what’s happening in tech kept popping up despite clicking through it repeatedly.

Many websites rely on advertising to make a go of it. Advertising is somewhat negated with ad blocking apps that affect overall browser performance.

While it’s sometimes possible to use another browser to offset relentless ad pop ups, it isn’t a practical solution. We all have our browsers of choice and what usually happens when a stubborn ad refuses to go away, is the person ends up clicking out of the site altogether.

Personally, I like sites with ads as long as they’re not over the top in number and/or slowing down overall page load times. Also, occasionally, a certain ad may appeal enough to me that I click on it–sometimes it’ll take me to information I’d like to view; other times perhaps not so much.

The Internet is still most appealing when you don’t set out using it to fulfill an agenda. That is, when you’re surfing for leisure and not under a deadline to locate some shred or tidbit of information that fulfills your need for attribution.

Doesn’t matter that it’s the end of the year or the beginning of another one.

The past five years when I’ve reached the end of the year, I’ve bemoaned not hopping on the computer more often for leisure.

Social media is something I’m using less and less of. I’ve been able to reconnect with old friends in person and find I much prefer enjoying the full spectrum of communication one experiences while having coffee with another human being.

This article is written in relaxed fashion–sort of reminiscent of when I’d awaken the computer from hibernation and fire up Netscape. Remember Netscape?

Today I started up Firefox planning to surf awhile and then came here to write about something of which I had no clue I was about to entertain beforehand–just like the old days.

The Internet has always been a source of inspiration to me. When I wasn’t being inspired, I was being entertained by it. Years gone by I utilized the net for entertainment more so than for occupational purpose.

That in a nutshell is what has become problematic for most of our online experiences these days.

If we were ever truly satisfied with our social media experiences we’d be able to leave them alone for weeks at a time in favor of random internet surfing.

But we can’t seem to do that. Nor are we able to enjoy that coffee with an old friend via any method other than video conferencing of some kind.

It’s just not the same thing.

Remember when you used to sit down, fire up Internet Explorer, type something in the URL address window and see where it takes you?

Yep, I know you do and you remember those times with fond memories.

It was the innocence of the wild, wild west that was the Internet’s halcyon days–free-spirited, lively, no pressure and laced with experiences that turned just hopping on the computer for a few minutes into 90 minutes later.

The time got away from us in a good way back then.

I hope we all can get some of that feeling back.

We’re taking the last few days of 2018 off.

With your assistance and our good fortune, we look forward to serving up some more fun times and food for thought in 2019.

Thank you, kindly.