fandomhigh | Internet for Dummies, Wednesday 9/13, 3rd Period

The lab is set up with four computer stations in the middle of the room and desks in the back.

"Last week we talked about what the internet is, and this week we're going to learn how to get to the internet." Abby smiled and turned to a list on the white board behind her. "The main kind of connections we're going to study and try out today are dial-up, cable, DSL, and Wi-Fi."

After explaining each of those in more detail, Abby walked to the stations. "You're going to get a chance to try each of these to see the pros and cons. Each station has a different internet service providers or ISP. They offer varying levels of help, annoyance and in some cases, a lot of shiny CD's mailed to your house. Station one and four will be ones you will have to connect to, station two and three you'll already be connected to the internet. I'd like for you to work alone at the first station ~~for my own sanity~~ and with partners for the other three."

"Feel free to ask myself or Mac any questions." Abby walked back up to the front and pointed to a spot on her desk. "I'd like a written paragraph from you about what you liked and hated. Doesn't have to be long or spelled right, just have it on my desk by the end of class."

[~~Wait for OCD please.~~ OCD up! I'll be playing the part of AOL today, which is why you're working alone on that station. Ping into the thread and then I'll guide you through connecting. I should be on all day give or take time for eating and stuff.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"DSL. Best part about DSL is the shiny blinky lights on the modem."

They do indeed blink. If Door's reading the information correctly, the blinking lights don't actually have much to do with her, but if they help the internet to show up the second she clicks on the wee picture of the globe, which it does, she's all for them.

Angela took a seat next to Door. "Are you working with anyone else yet?"

Door shakes her head. "No, I just escaped from the little yellow walking man."

"He told me I was lame because I didn't have a username. I tried my name backwards and it hated that too." She made a face. "Isn't this stuff supposed to be easy?"

Door smiles. "You're asking the wrong person; I've never even used a computer before last week. It's all new to me."

"I remember that stuff seemed new to you when we taked in the library," ANgela nodded. "How's the adjustment going?"

Experimentally, she clicked the Yahoo icon and waited for it to load.

"Well, I'm not too fond of the little yellow man," Door says, grinning. "But overall it's all right. I've heard of computers and phones and such," she adds. "We just don't really have access to them at home."

"You don't have access to phones?," Angela asked. "Why not? Usually the time-displaced people haven't even heard of them."

"I'm from... now, more or less," Door explains. "But the place is a little...sideways. We can go out in your world, but it doesn't interact very well with us."

"So you're like a ghost?," Angela asked slowly. "Because ... I don't know. It's a weird question."

What she was thinking was that Door reminded her of the ghost from Christmas Sophomore year, somehow, byut she couldn't explain that.

Door raises her eyebrows. "No, we're alive. Well, most of us. And real; we can touch things. But people in your world...it's not that they don't see us, really. They just don't notice us. And it's the same for some of the machines, especially ones that want to know who you are before they'll do something for you."

"It sounds lonely," Angela said honestly. "Why is here different, do you know?"

Door shakes her head. "There's lots of us." Less now, though; sometimes she forgets for a moment. She glances away. "It's not usually lonely."

"I don't know why here's different," she adds, looking up. "People noticed me the second I got here. Bridge said seeing things other people don't is what he does, but that doesn't explain everybody else."

"It's a weird school," Angela shrugged.

She clicked the icon again. "Oh, cool, it looks like it's launching. But it wants a password."

Re: Station Two - Yahoo ISP

notajar - 2006-09-14 15:02 (UTC) - Expand

chasingangela - 2006-09-14 15:16 (UTC) - Expand

notajar - 2006-09-14 16:44 (UTC) - Expand

chasingangela - 2006-09-14 17:07 (UTC) - Expand

notajar - 2006-09-14 17:21 (UTC) - Expand

This had to be better than AOL. Even if it was Yahoo. "Okay computer, it's just you and me and whoever sits down next to me. No My Little Ponies this time."

Mac is still sending furtive glances back to the AOL machine, like maybe it's going to follow her or something.

She manages a smile at Charlie and motions at the seat beside him, "Mind if I join you?"

"As it happens, I was saving this seat for my coloring buddy. Since you happen to be my coloring buddy, that works out for me." He grinned. "By the way, AOL blows."

Mac laughed, "Well ain't that a coincidence," and with that flopped into the nearest chair. "I totally agree with your stance on AOL. It bites. It is officially the spawn of satan, the antichrist, ugh... and so much more."

She doesn't mention that the masses of little yellow men attempted to mount an offensive against her. She's not crazy.

"I hear Yahoo's pretty bad too." He jabbed a finger at the screen.

Mac rolled her eyes, "Nothing, is as bad as AOL my friend, nothing. Yahoo, doesn't have that little faceless mocking man, and faster, which is always a bonus as far as I can see."

"That is a perk." He opened up a search engine and typed 'Bob Seger' to see what would happen. He was pleasantly surprised when nothing involving My Little Ponies showed up at all. He could have lived without knowing that there was Bob Seger RPS out there, though.

Mac watched over his shoulder, "You a Bob Seger fan then?" She eyes some of the links that have showed up with amusement. This is truly what the internet is supposed to be for. "Apparently he's 'like a rock'," she added with a smirk.

As soon as Ray sat down, he started looking for running men. "Don't give me that crap about my password being incorrect."

"What do you mean connection timed out?" Togusa huffed at the station and used what knowledge he had of obsolete connections.