Back then when they started they were just text and no graphics. Main problem was that our Internet and network connections were so low that sending graphics would literally have taken days. Some of you may remember 300 then 1200 baud modems back then and how we thought we had seen everything when a 12000 bps modem appeared.
Now we have 56000 for dialup and everyone says how slow that is and we are running networks at 1000 meg and higher and many people are using broadband fro much higher speeds.
Just as a side note here, if you develop web pages try to remember that some of your users may still be using dialup and design pages with them in mind. Look around and see who your users are.
What is interesting is the history on the Internet today. You can actually do searches and go out and find old programs to download and still use. Today I was reading in InfoWorld about that GEM is still available on the Internet. For most of you, GEM may be unfamiliar, but it was a GUI before Windows that was developed by Digital Research and was used by Tandy and Atari and others. It was considered ahead of Windows for a long time and had a very close resemblance to the Macintosh.
Think of an old program and do a search for that name on the web and you may be surprised to find it.
Another interesting site I found a few months ago is the Internet Archive. This location has actually saved many web pages back to the mid 1990s. I was surprised to found the original and early versions of my own web page and some others I had done back then. I knew I still had in some cases the early pages but never guessed that a group actually captures and keeps them. It is not a complete site, but just as at the Smithsonian we catch a glimpse of our past, here we do also. The site is at http://www.archive.org/
Reminder about the web page contest for clubs and divisions.
We are having a contest this year for the best web sites by clubs and divisions. The winners will be determined by a group of non-Georgia District Kiwanians during July. They will examine the web pages of those clubs and divisions choosing to enter at that time. Clubs and divisions must notify me before July 1 that they wish to enter. (dwight-watt@att.net)
The scoring will be based on the following about the website:
1. Link to Georgia District web site
2. Link to International web site
3. Information on officers
4. Projects - planned and completed.
5. Meeting times and locations
6. Usability of web site
7. Contact information. How to contact an officer (phone or email), although not all need to be listed as some may not want phone or e-mail listed, but someone to contact if interested.
8. Pictures
9. Support of youth organizations
10. easiness of navigation for website and all parts working
11. Friendliness of website.
12. Currentness of site.
Awards will be given for best division website and also for best club website in each population division