Book Review

I have seen a few mentions of the book "The Victorian Internet" by Tom Standage, from Ordinal and Erbo.

So on my last visit to the Library, I ordered a copy. It was not as big as I thought it would be, but quite a good read. It's about 200 pages long.

It's full of lurid tales of vice and naked ambition and seedy hotels with record company executives ripping off young talented..hang on, sorry wrong book.

Victorian Internet is mostly about Samuel Morse and how the telegraph system he invented changed the times it takes to communicate news from months to minutes.

It gives a backgroud to people and ideas leading up to his invention, and the incredible amount of trouble it took to get some backing to get it recognized as something worthwhile.

But I suspect most people who read this blog will recognize the misunderstandings that people had then, as now.

An ISP where I used to work, was once asked to send a caller the Internet on CD. There was also the ever popular, "Do I have to be connected to the Internet to get my Email"?


BTW: Blogger has taken all my formatting away! ( Stupid Blogger )



If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.
~Edith Wharton