You made it! Thanks for visiting.
I'm the kind of person who likes to know how something works. In a world where many things cannot be explained -- volcanoes, the afterlife, females -- it's good to know there is a logical explanation for Internet linking.
Linking is not a new concept. Marco Polo is said to have marveled at Asia's ability to store files and download directions from Mapquest. How do you think he made it back?
It's difficult to get a good read on the American public when trying to figure out how many people really care about the Olympics. But if any of these people want to explore the Internet looking for more information, they have plenty of options.
Let's get to the point quickly here -- all Web sites look different depending on various factors: the type of computer you are using (Mac vs. PC), the type of browser you are using (Netscape vs. Internet Explorer vs. WebTV vs. others), the types of extensions you have enabled (Java vs. QuickTime vs. others), your favorite soft drink (Coke vs. Pepsi vs. RC). It's complicated because there are so many variables, more than you had during your entire high school math career.
It's August 21, 1858, in Ottawa, Ill. You had planned on eating your lunch, which consists of whatever they ate in 1858, plus a box of Twinkies, but instead you are attacked by the flock of people heading to the public square. The sun is shining brightly so brightly, you decide it must be 1:55 p.m. You notice two people on stage, both men in their 40s. One of those guys looks just like Abraham Lincoln.
Wait a minute, it is Abraham Lincoln!
Riding in a car during a long trip is a lot like sitting in front of a computer for a day. You know, staring aimlessly at whatever is in front of you thinking of a million different places you'd rather be and yelling to no one in particular because you've just encountered the Leave-on-Your-Left-Turn-Signal entourage.
Terry, an innocent bystander until he read one of my columns and emailed me, sent me a pretty good take on the prequel to the Y2K Bug, which, of course, is the Y1K Bug. It took me awhile to find the original author (remember, taking more than a minute to find anything on the Internet is way too long), but I finally did.
Augustine J. Fredrich begins the story with a dateline March 15, 999, in Canterbury, England. He writes:
Let me stop you first before you begin reading this brief story. This isn't a tale about how a 6-year-old became so good at the video game "Guitar Hero" that he is now joining the Led Zepplin revival tour.
While "Guitar Hero" is an option for someone who is mildly interested in the guitar, it's not going to be a "Stairway to Heaven" and teach actual chords and music. A Fretlight Guitar, however, could be the answer to teaching yourself how to play.
I bet you $100 you've visited an online gambling site.
Ha! What a trick. See, if you said no, but I had to pay you, then it would be gambling.
Online gambling, much like the beginning of this column, seems to be frustrating and silly. For the sake of every potential column reader, I've looked at a few online gambling sites and come to a simple conclusion -- I am sick of blinking Web sites.
While it's fairly simple to find just about anything on the Internet, author Ben Woods says there's one thing that sticks out the most: crazy people.
Woods will be signing and discussing his new fictional workplace humor book, "The Developers," 2-4 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Lawson Commons area in the new Lawson Computer Science Building (305 N. University St.). He will also take part in the Barnes and Noble Authors Day 4-7 p.m. Sept. 30 in Lafayette (2323 Sagamore Parkway South).
Just in case you have forgotten, Sept. 19 is a special day. Yes, it's that day each year when you are allowed to talk like a pirate, and be thanked for doing so.