Crypto makes me feel like a pioneer again. Just like the internet did in my youth.
I was born in 1984 and obviously, when I grew up there was no internet. We did have computers at home from early on because my dad sold Macintosh computers.
Around age 10 the first Windows computer entered our home. Windows 95. It came with Microsoft Encarta. It makes me feel ancient now but I loved that stuff. It even had some videos.
2 years later the internet arrived.
Around 10 years later the internet would arive, I love this picture. It's me and my sister.
The internet is no source! my teachers said.
When I was in high school (age:12-19) my teachers always said. The internet is no source! We won’t take it seriously and you will have to go to the library if you want real information. We will check sources!
My best friend Ben and I laughed in this face of danger. We felt like pioneers. We also knew that we were already miles ahead of every adult we knew.
Almost every report we ever made in high school came from the internet. Not copied. But the information we found we used in our reports.
It was 10x faster than going to a library and more fun.
We always got good grades. Nobody ever checked any source. It was such an empty threat.
Now everyone uses the internet as a source.
Personally, I feel that the internet was more simple or humble back then.
It was just filled with like-minded people all trying to discover this wonderful new world that was given to us.
I made friends I spoke to on IRC back then that I still speak to today on WhatsApp. 20 years later.
It's really hard to find pictures of me in high school, this is Ben and me, still fairly young, 19 maybe, not sure.
I have that pioneer feeling again
With crypto, I have this pioneer feeling again. And this time I’m part of it even earlier. Not super early like those 2009 guys that spoke to Satoshi Nakamoto himself, but since 2013. Not bad.
Again, I find myself surrounded by people that tell me it’s not ‘real’. But just like 12-year-old me, I laugh in this face of danger. Again, I’m hearing the same thing with a different subject.
Crypto is no currency! We won’t take it seriously and you will have to go to the bank to get real money. We will check sources!
But this time it’s not coming from my teachers. It’s mostly my friends and family.
I must admit that at times I felt rather alone. I like sharing my passion with like-minded people. But it's difficult if you don't know anybody that talks crypto.
Steemit changed all that.
This place is filled, with like-minded people. They write and make great Vlogs speaking passionately about this space and other subjects. And again. I'm making new friends. Just like with the early internet.
For me, this place is a true blessing.
And I should enjoy it now because when this thing grows to the size I think it can grow, I won't be feeling like a pioneer for long.
Follow Me @exyle
Oh man, I'm getting lucky these days finding your posts pretty much straight off the printing press!
I can so relate to your words, bro. In university, I remember our lecturers telling us our coursework required at least "5" different sources of information when drafting our work. Textbooks, magazines, journals, on-campus literature and of course, the Internet.
Everybody (including me) quoted those sources directly from the Internet but cited them as coming from the various media they wanted. Lol, the teachers were either completely oblivious to it or knew they could do nothing to discredit their students submissions.
Wonder if the same rules still apply today in universities? Lol, indeed the Internet was and still remains to this day, a veritable Pandora's Box.
Brilliant stuff, @exyle. (p.s. thanks for taking me back to the days of Microsoft Encarta!!)
Man! I forgot about those 5 different sources! That's so true lol. Thanks for that memory! I'm not sure if this still applies today, but I wouldn;t be surprised :). Thanks as always for your awesome replies!
Those were the days.
I am a little bit older (from '72) and I had a Commodore 64 with a cassette player attached to it. I loaded my games with a cassette!!! :P
Years later my friend had a PC with one of the first versions of Windows on it. It cost him a fortune. He used these huge floppy disks, the flexible ones. He even had a black and white printer with those huge pixels.
Some years later he replaced his PC for a second one that was attached to the internet. That was pretty awesome.
I can remember that not so many people took the internet seriously, but that changed quickly. Now our society cannot even function without it.
I am into crypto since 2015 and I agree with you that this is just the beginning of something big! In the near future crypto might be the number one standard. Maybe our old fiat currency will be totally replaced by it.
Very exciting times right now! I'm happy to be a part of it!
I'm about the same age and my first computer was a Commodore SX-64, the world's first "portable" computer. I would sit and look at that tiny screen for hours waiting for programs to load.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_SX-64
Wow! have never see that one before.
Thanks for this comment. Love those old computer stories. and yes, blockchain/crypto will be huge I am sure of that. There is so much happening in the space right now, it's thrilling.
I also grew up before there was such a thing called the internet. And I have to agree, that crypto is giving me that feeling of high adventure. I just joined up with steem a week ago, and so far I'm having a blast!
Cheers.
It's indeed an adventure. I have been on it since 2013. Steem is the gateway to a whole decentralized world. You will have fun discovering.
damn..
children these days.
in my day
this was a computer.
New technologies force us to learn throughout our lives. And the first steps in learning cryptocurrency can be compared with the first steps in reality. You have no experience but have an interest and belief in yourself, you just do the first step and see what happens.
In this sense I feel special respect to the people who begin acquaintance with computer technologies, being already in middle age - for them it is much more difficult. But I see a lot of them here, in Steemit and it's great!
Exaclty like that :')
Hi @exyle. I used to love Encarta! It was mindblowing for me at that time to have all that information (and videos!) at the click of a mouse. Happy, simpler times :-). I too feel a bit of a pioneer here on Steemit and in a few years we will be looking back at this time like we do now at Encarta. Till next time. Take care and be good to yourself.
Encarta was a lot of fun. Indeed mindblowing at the time. I never thought I would get that Pioneer feeling again like the early internet days. But low and behold blockchain/crypto makes me feel the same 15 years later. What a gift.
We indeed live in amazing times, my friend. Keep Steeming!
Crypto presents a huge opportunity to investors of any size wallet. It is truly exiting. Although I only started holding a month ago, I am confident in the future of crypto. Taking the resent dips as opportunity to acquire more coin.
The cool thing about STEEM is you can earn it by creating content. No need to buy it if you don;t want. I like that feature a lot. Good luck with your buys!
I've been very leery of the cryptocurrency but after buying thousands of ounces of silver, your article has pushed me over the top. Im buying some crypto today. You're rite it is exciting and you don't have to invest much to make a boat load of money when millions of people are running to safe havens when the banks are crashing. The only question l have is once the cryptocurrency goes up, how do we use it in everyday life? Sooner or later we would have to transfer any alternative currency into US dollars. I guess we shall see.
I would accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment for my services (I work in IT). If a plumber (that I actually need today, my sink is blocked) would feel the same I don;t have to change anything to dollars/euro. I can just send him STEEM dollars (in 3 seconds, no fee). But I'm realistic enough to see this will be a while.
There are more use cases for blockchain technology than just currencies, you have smart contracts and Steemit (social media)for instance. All decentralized. No third party. It's so awsome.
I entered college when you were born.
I am older than you, but I admire your passion.
Thank you!