The "Idiot Box" Revisited - Through WebTV™

.....because I bought a WebTV™.

I was peripherally interested in the concept of folks "out there" surfing the 'Net on their TV sets, but I knew they couldn't do many of the things I considered essential for Internet exploration and web page construction. I worked with a few WebTVians who were building web pages in GeoCities to help them make their sites more compatible for viewing by visitors with PCs.

You see, I've always been handy with computers -- they like me.

When I was in college (from '71 -'73), I was an English major, then an Administration of Justice major, and I also hung out in the compuer lab because BASIC and COBOL computer languages fascinated me. I was disciplined for creating a batch of cards to run in the compiler that kicked out the next program with a fairly sardonic remark visible on the monitor... After that, I never went much further in learning how to program anything. (We won't count my simplistic efforts with the Commodore 64 I bought for myself in 1978, okay?)

Working in the Public Safety Communications career field, one has access to criminal justice telecommunication systems and databases. I started back when you had to use a teleTYPE that printed at 60 wpm and was so noisy it was kept in a sound-deadening cupboard. I was responsible for several un-authorized messages transmitted around the county; nothing serious, actually, just pictures created with lines of characters. (Hey, what's so bad about a long "Merry Christmas" banner coming off the teletype at midnight on Christmas eve, anyway?) I once re-created the Emergency Broadcast System announcement (that you'd hear over your AM or FM radio now and then) in text, complete with a full minute of "bells" to simulate that obnoxious tone near the end of the broadcast.

I could figure out just about any error message someone received, or format any inquiry to any law enforcement database necessary... Like I said: computers liked me. And when technology upgraded to video monitors and higher-speed data switches, I was in seventh heaven.

All this extraneous information is leading up to NOW. You see, I've had a PC at home for just a few years; I really didn't discover the Internet until June, 1996. My first Home Page hit the WWW less than a month later, and I've been stuck in the Web ever since. There's no list of television programs on THIS page of The "Idiot Box" Revisited because I haven't been watching television in several months.....

I've been busy surfing the 'Net, creating my own websites and assisting others with theirs -- who has time for TV?

Then, a wonderful person with a with a WebTV™ -- and a really fun "Site" for Sore Eyes -- invited me to experience the Internet on HER WebTV™. Well, I bought one the next day: Thursday, August 14th, 1997.

I had to open the box right there, to make sure everything I was supposed to get was included, since I was purchasing it about 300 miles away from home. (Notice the clerk character in the background, mugging for the camera?)

Now, you have to understand that I'm really a PC user -- I had to learn a few different methods of doing things in order to get the best results from "Wilbur," my WebTV™ box. (Soose calls her PC "IT" to differentiate between which system she's using at the time; I followed suit by saying I'm either on the computer or Wilbur. Probably pretty silly, but it works for us...)

Let me express my admiration for folks who have created web pages using their WebTV™ units, because they don't have the benefits of normal Windows 3.1 or '95 functions. My favorites: Copy, and Paste. Not so on a WebTV™! You have to laboriously TYPE in everything.

Not to mention easy access to a site's document source code.

Let's not forget the ability to load graphics and music or sound files from your site; in order to GET those into one's directory, they have to be uploaded there somehow. If one doesn't actually possess the file in some storage facility (such as a floppy diskette or on a PC hard drive), there's no way to GET it there.

You see, WebTV™ users creating web pages have no way to do that; a WebTV™ terminal has no storage capabilities. They have to "pull" images and sounds from other sources -- generally other websites. This is considered "poor form" within the web-spinning community and although HTML supports this practice, it's often referred to as "bandwidth stealing." I'm a member of Web Prestige, and I couldn't do that, in all good conscience.....

So, I cheat. I use my PC to load stuff into my web directory. Other than that, this entire site has been developed using Wilbur.... errrr, my WebTV™ terminal.

Therefore, I recommend that anyone with a WebTV™ who wishes to create a Home Page or other web site find a method of uploading files to their server's directory. Maybe you have a family member with a PC that will do this for you, or a close personal friend, or maybe you will have to utilize a PC at a library that provides Internet access -- or a Internet cafe; now THAT'S an innovation!

If someone else performs this service for you, consider these issues:

1. They will need access to your website server and password.
2. They will have to know how to upload, using FTP or other methods, such as the GeoCities EZ Upload Utility (for Netscape users).
3. Change your password BEFORE you give it to someone you TRUST -- and ONLY someone you trust!
4. Change your password BACK as soon as the work is completed.

And join me on the WWW!

I am proud to be a member of Web Prestige.

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