From: "Ray Dobbs" <cabins@lakeroberts.com>

Bogdan,


Please consider this little story for your article.

My Internet Success Story

Fifteen years ago while working for one of the largest
companies in California. The newspapers and magazines
seemed to always be running articles about "The Super
Highway" and "The World Wide Web" COMING SOON.

These new terms did not mean much to me or my
co-workers at the time. We thought they were only for
large companies. Like the one where we were working.
After all the company was already computerized. They
had rooms full of computers and a whole night shift
full of people punching cards, processing and printing
reports. All to be on the proper desk first thing every
morning.

In the maintenance department we were involved in
both the punched cards and the reports. Everyday
we recorded our time and charges to whatever
we worked on that day. Once in a while a boss
could say a certain project or job is over budget.
Use this other number on your punch cards.
Seemed reasonable at the time. Then sure enough
someday in the office is on the carpet trying to explain
a charge of nine pairs of safety toe knee-high rubber
work boots. So need less to say we knew what the
expression,"Garbage in/Garbage out" meant.

Was still not sure about The Super Highway" and
"World Wide Web" stuff. And had no idea that within
a few months I would have my own little business
listed there for the masses to see and buy everything
I could think of to sell them. Dreams, dreams. oops!
(back to the story)

With some planning and a little luck I was able to
give up that job. Give up the benefits, the holidays,
the paid sick leave and a months vacation very year.
Just to be in business for myself. With luck and
planning I've had my own time for these past 13
years. It would be impossible to think about ever
being an employee.

By luck, no real planning on my part a young man
came by our business one day selling home pages
on the internet/World Wide Web. WOW! there is
that word again. What is a home page? Who cares.
He is going to put our little business up there on that
"Super Highway." Everybody that drives up there is
going to see our sign. They will be wanting to stop
here to shop maybe even stay over night. Boy I
better start planning. And better find out more about
this "Super Highway traffic" he was talking about.
First to the Yellow Pages. Not a single match, No
World Wide Web, No Super highway, nothing.
I remember reading schools and universities are
on the big highway. So I called the local university
and the guy says yes but you can not there from
here. Then he talked about some letters and numbers
that we do not have until the phone company does
something. But he can talk to the computer at the
University of Arizona by dialling a number and resting
the phone on his desk some place.

The call to the phone company was not much better.
They were doing something to a backbone and some
tees. But had heard about a new company called
American Line. Turned out to be AOL still not useful
here.

By this time I'm convinced the young man has taken
my money and skipped town. No such thing as being
on "The Super Highway." I needed to get my hands on
that guy.

Sometime later I received a phone call from a man in
Chicago. He had seen our site on the web. Oh!! was I
excited!!! This is better than the first money in the mail
box one experiences in the mail order business. Believe
me. Money in the mail is a real natural high.

That first call lasted for a long time. The man from Chicago
had a lot of information about computers and the internet.
He said, "He could send mail to my computer" but not
to my 1984 Apple. Guess I really had a lot to learn.

Today, I can say my success on the internet has been
mostly luck, joy, excitement, learning and a labor of love.
How lucky I was to get a home page. Even before I
knew what it was. The young man that sold me that page
is now our ISP.  The man from Chicago has made millions
of dollars on the internet. I hear from him often and see
his site advertised everyday. What a joy to know some
one like him.

As for me. I hope to never get over the excitement of it
all. Everytime I get an email or phone call that says,
"I was your site on the internet." I get so excited.
Sometimes I can hardly speak. Isn't it Great?

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Ray Dobbs lives in the Gila National Forest in
southwest New Mexico, USA. My brick and motor
business is a general store and rental cabins near
a lake. Pay us a visit when you can.
http://www.lakeroberts.com  or send me an email
I love the sound of mail coming in. Maybe we can
share this internet. mailto:cabins@lakeroberts.com
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