Do you remember the very first time that you sat at a computer and could “search” the internet?

I can remember it like it was yesterday, and in some sense it really was. It was in the early 90’s and I was visiting a friend and they were in the process of setting up a Chicago branch office for their company. There in the corner of the room was a brand new computer and it was hooked up and online. I sat down in front of it and my friend opened a new “window” for me and said, here use this “search engine”, it’s the best.

That was one of the first times that I had ever heard the phrase “search engine” and I remember just how odd the term sounded. Until then when I thought of search I thought of physically looking for something, like a lost sock or favorite book. The word engine just confused matters all the more as engines belonged in lawnmowers and cars didn’t they? Not in a metal box on the desk?

Before me on the screen was an empty white box where I was to type something to “search”. I suddenly remember feeling completely overwhelmed. I was staring at a tiny box on a screen but I may as well be looking at an endless ocean. What should I type? What should I search? I took me a minute or so to even think of one thing that I wanted to learn more about. The concept of being able to change my mind and search on something else wasn’t present at the moment. I almost felt that I had only “one chance” to pick something so I better make it good. My friend said, “go ahead, search something”. So I took the leap and typed into the little box and have never looked back…

What did we do before the internet? For most of my young adult life I didn’t own a computer, surf the web or even have a cell phone. Homework was completed using an old fashioned typewriter and notes to friends weren’t via text but rather folded up pieces of paper that you had to somehow pass across a room, entrusting other classmates to pass along the note without reading all while trying to avoid the sharp eyes of the teacher.

Who would have thought years ago that a prized domain name would be millions of dollars or that the search engines stock would rise so high that you could afford to retire on the proceeds from their sale. The past twenty years were amazing in terms of technology and I can only imagine what the next twenty years of advancements will bring!