The main point of this post is that restricting your kid’s internet use is a bad idea. It has always been both a garbage dump and a treasure trove. It’s up to you (or them) to choose wisely.
My first exposure to “the internet” was as 75757.1647@compuserve.com. Not too long after, there were a variety of chat rooms around the internet – genuinely terrible places, but a handful of nerdy teens flocked to them and found each other to talk about our nerdy interests and feel connected.
One of my oldest “internet friends” – Melissa – developed via one of those sites. She and I stayed in touch through high school graduation to this day – almost 30 years at this point. I look forward to her family Christmas cards. One of the other people is the subject of this post. Someday, I’ll write a Mel post!
About a year ago, I was going through some of my stuff as one does for months and months and years after they move. One thing was a padded envelope sent from Australia in 1997 by my chat room friend Ungoat, aka Miles, that included one of the most outstanding unhinged letters ever written and a CD from his band. At some point, after we went off to college, we lost touch. While looking at the envelope and its contents, I realized I should search up old Ungoat and see where he ended up.
AS IT TURNS OUT, my old internet friend is now the preeminent theremin virtuoso of Australia and was easily find-able. I sent a message along with a couple of images of that letter via Instagram last year, and, just like that, I was following my old friend and finding a whole new trove of music.
Of course, life intervened a bit. Perhaps with Melbourne on the brain a little over the past week, I realized I hadn’t taken the time to listen through as much as I could have. I very much did that over the past week, though, and made some purchases: both digital and an actual vinyl album that should be on its way to me now.
I’m pretty sure I have the beginnings of the most complete and obscure Miles Brown and The Night Terrors (and Puppyfat!) collection in the greater Syracuse, NY area now. Highly recommended all around. Complex and experimental but also incredibly listenable, with the theremin sounding at times like a stringed instrument or a voice amidst excellent electronica. “Levitation” on the most recent release, Hypnotica, is a favorite. Maybe I’ll try to jump on a plane to see a live show someday.
To sum up, I love the music and the people I’ve been lucky enough to be even tenuously connected to over 30+ years of mucking around in the various incarnations of social connection the internet’s provided. Glad I didn’t chuck that letter at some point in the past almost 30 years because it’s provided an excellent soundtrack for this past week.