I have been on line nearly 2 yrs with a WebTV System. I turned mine on April 18, 1999.
Actually, when I bought my WebTV, it was not for the purpose of Website building or chat. It was for the purpose of finding out information on my Family Genealogy.
I had lost my father in Sept. of 1997 and his family is rather small and distant than my mother's side of the family.. I felt there were secrets and wanted to find out if there where N E other Tracey's in the Country. Within 2 months of having my WebTV, I found a nephew of my Grandfathers in California.
He had a website about his Genealogy and all the differant families he was searching. I seen the "Tracey" listing and after looking it over, found my Father, and his brothers and sisters listed as well as my Grandfather. I found out that his Grandfather whom was my Grandfathers brother, was possibly "murdered" in Chicago and my Grandfather arranged for his buriel. This infomation was never mentioned by my Fathers side of the family.
I have since put my Genealogy search on the back burner and learned about Chat in "Talk City".
I didn't know what "Cyber Space" was all about until the guy's I worked with asked me about it. That's when I decided to check into chat and became a regular chatter to Courtship-2 in June of 1999.
Then in September of 1999, I had my phone shut off and my WebTV temporarily disconnected. This lasted for 3 weeks. I actually got out of the "house" more often at this time too....LOL...
Now I got the funds together and put my WebTV and Telephone back on the beginning of October 1999. At this time I started back at chat but found I wasn't as interested any more and got the interest to start my own Website. This site was going to be about Me, my Kids, my Family and Chat Friends, My Beliefs in Love and Romance and my Beliefe in Angels.... I side tracked from the Angel theme of the site and more so talk about myself and my kids.
Now the thing about being on line is that when your so "Addicted" to it, you give up other things that don't seem to matter much any more to you.. I completely gave up Television. We lost our Cable TV in September of 1999 also and I never re-newed the subscription for it. My kids have adjusted to the loss of this and we only watch movies. I don't even watch the News or Weather.. I get that from my Home page or Friends in chat and family. News was so depressing that I didn't Care to know what was going on any more (and besides, the News Media only lets you know "There" version of the news, which is not all that "Objective" in my opinion).
Being on line has changed me for the Better in my opinion of myself.
Im a more Vocal Woman and Honest, I say it as I see it. I have gotten to be more "Funny" and im not that Shy Little Girl I was in grade school and high school... I never talked much in those days and was Terribly Shy. That has all changed with the help of Being Online and the Internet. I have traveled to meet people and men that I talked with. I even had a boyfriend I met on line for about 7 months. We were in love and going to get married, but that fell apart a year ago now. But that's ok. I find meeting people on the Internet, there a differant kind of people, they are more open with themselfs than they may be with there family or a friend from off line. Family and friends from Off line do not understand us. We get personal with these new friendships. When we loose a friend from online, it really impacts us even if we never met them outside of the Net. Sure, there are some less than desirable folks on line too, but you have to weed them out from the rest. There not "All Bad" folks from on line.
Bottom line is that, it has Changed me for the Better and I like myself more than I use to. My kids have found that there mother is Funny as Heck these days and realize that it is the Internet that has made this change possible for there mother.
Thank you...
