Fluteboy

I only learned to use a computer in 1998. Prior to this I had no interest in computers. Maybe it was the rising popularity of the internet that got me to wanting to learn - along with the fact that my then-favourite talk radio host Nick Abbot had a slightly unhealthy number of tribute websites made for him. Whatever it was, I had to learn to operate one of these things. This would involve a computer course and visits to internet cafes. How could a 26 year old not know how to operate a computer? My mum only learned to type at 50! I had best set an example here.

1999 was an interesting time for the humble internet cafe. Some bloke called Stelios - who just so happens to run a bright orange airline company - decided to launch a chain of bright orange 24-hour internet cafes, with each one providing a good 400 computer screens. Whereas your typical cybercaff charged between £3 and £6 for an hour, the orange one would allow numerous hours overnight for just one little sexy pound. Yes the computers all ran on the delightfully unstable Windows 95, and viewing the web involved - not the highly popular and very cooperative Internet Explorer - but the thoroughly niggly and downright unstable Netscape Navigator. Those "Illegal operation" error boxes were a frequent occurrence. "Illegal? It's only Nick Abbot!"

Having discovered the personal website of a former classmate and professional computer molester, my next desire was to have my own website. This involved signing up with Geocities. - just before they were conveniently swallowed by Yahoo. From memory, the address of my 1999 website was: www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Runway/6091. Talk about memorable. It even looked like this - resplendent in your finest green and complete with obligatory clip-art platypus.

Years passed and though my site had numerous addresses it remained in some form or another, with differing designs bestowed upon it. Despite the advent of blogging and social media, my site continued to share humourous audio clips and rather brave poetry. Somehow the blogging aspect stuck the most, and what was once published on LiveJournal or Myspace has gone and found its home here. You know where to find me and my rot. You are most welcome. A net-nerd for 20 years. Wahey!