Time Capsule Reflections: Cam Beck
Q&A with Cam bio
What was your favorite tech 25 years ago?
Computers. I liked building them for myself and my friends, and getting them connected to the Internet (or each other, in the case of work), which at the time was a little more difficult than it is today.
Were you playing with any gadgets back then? Video games? If so, what?
I can't remember if I had a cell phone by then or if I was still using a pager. My favorite video game was Sid Meier's Civilization II.
How did you use the internet 25 years ago?
Research, learning how to write HTML, email, using PowWow chat and other chat forums. I did a lot of online debating back then.
What did you spend most of your time doing in 1998?
Working, reading, school, bowling
What were you watching?
I did not own a TV, but I did go to the movies a lot. My favorites from that year were Saving Private Ryan, Armageddon, and Blade.
What CDs were you buying in 1998?
I wasn't buying many CDs in 1998. My Dodge Neon did not have a CD player at the time.
What was the first thing the internet taught you?
I was impressed with the Internet's ability to connect people. But one thing I learned early is how difficult it was to connect using dial-up, and that someone would have to improve the backbone (not a word I would have used at the time) if it were to become a more serious tool for work or entertainment.
Do you remember your first computer? What was it?
The first computer my parents had and I got to use as a kid from home was a Commodore 64. I played Prince of Persia on it whenever I could. The first big thing that is still very much on the current PC road was an "IBM-Compatible" computer that ran MS-DOS. The first one had 1 MB of "extended" RAM, and I played many hours of Sierra's Hero's Quest on it. The first computer I actually purchased myself as an adult was an IBM. I think it was a 386, and its hard drive was 1GB, which I thought I would NEVER fill up. Spoiler: It actually filled up pretty quickly.
What do you miss about the internet and/or technology back then?
I miss the absence of people trying to get fame and fortune on the Internet by "pwning" strangers through what they think is clever snark and flippancy.
What was the best thing about Windows 98?
It was easy enough to use for me to become proficient with it that I could provide some aid to my friends in setting it up, upgrading it, and connecting them to the Internet.
Insiter Time Capsules
What were some of our team members doing in 1998?
