In a 1995 Newsweek essay, Clifford Stoll mocked the idea that the internet would take off. He laughed at the thought of getting your news or buying books online, doing online shopping and meeting people. In 2022, some people wish he had been right!
However, the benefits of the internet far outweigh some of its negative sides. Without the internet, the pandemic would have made life a hell of a lot more difficult. Now, we live so much of our lives online that we never consider going back to how things were.
That said, there are many things you may not realize you can do online. Here are some of the most surprising.
People tend to think of financial services companies as living in the past. The big banks seem to be the strongest evidence of this, as they still require a ton of paperwork while using some terribly old processes. However, the insurance industry has come a long way.
Many people still believe that you need to get your insurance in person, especially because of the need for in-person assessments. But this is not always true. Buying renters insurance online and getting life insurance are just two examples for which you never need to see another person.
Most people do not go online when they need to replace their prescription glasses. The prevailing wisdom is that you need to go to your optometrist. For one thing, you need an eye test. For another, you cannot tell if glasses will look good until you actually see them on your face.
However, if you know your prescription, there are now online stores that sell prescription glasses and deliver them to you. Furthermore, they provide the option to try your glasses on virtually. This involves using augmented reality (AR) to place the glasses on your face as you look into the computer or phone camera.
It is not as ideal as using virtual reality (VR), but that is set to become an accessible option relatively soon. The Metaverse is set to make that happen.
Looking into the past is not nearly as impressive as the idea of looking into the future. After all, videos have been a reality for over a century. Nonetheless, many people don’t realize that you can see the internet as it once was, no matter how hard people may have tried to send it to the virtual void.
The Wayback Machine gives you access to archived pages from across the internet. This is an extension you can add to your browser that will show you past versions of the page you are visiting. This can lead you into some really strange places, as you begin to get an idea of how much the web has changed.
If you are not sight-impaired, you have a skill that is extremely valuable to others. Blind people can use the digital world through phones and computers that accommodate voice guides and braille, but sometimes they need help seeing something in the real world. Maybe they have misplaced something or simply want to get some information.
The Be My Eyes app provides a way for them to connect with volunteers who will be their eyes. When they need assistance, the app notifies people across the world. You can take up the call and provide a hugely valuable service without any cost to you. It is a simple and easy way to help people using the internet.
Museums are some of the best places to learn interesting information. The best museums in the world are expertly curated to guide you through an experience, rather than simply showing you artefacts and paintings. Many museums now offer virtual tours, where you can ‘walk through’ the museum just as you would in person.
You may not have known that you can do the above 5 things on the internet. It truly has become your gateway to everything you could ever need.
