Question Internet: So big and so small?

[ar81]

When you talk about internet you know that's a place where millions of people are connected. However you do not see too many sims like Orbiter.

How is that among millions of people you only see a few things like that? Is it that most of people on the planet are passive?

 

[Izack]

Yes. The vast majority of Internet users who aren't facebooking/twittering are lurking or watching porn.
Here's a breakdown based on my experiences:
Porn - 50%
Blogs and cat pictures - 20%
Lurkers - 12%
Facebook/Twitter/Myspace/whatever - 8%
People who make webcomics (good AND bad) - 8%
People like us - 2%

 

[Urwumpe]

Oh my god. I am unique in this universe.

 

[MeDiCS]

Oh my god. I am unique in this universe.

Thank God .

BTW, I think Facebook activity is way more than 8%.

 

[garyw]

How is that among millions of people you only see a few things like that? Is it that most of people on the planet are passive?

Or that most don't have the skills but then you seen things like Orbiter, Universe sandbox, celestia, etc.

So yes, skills exist but millions of the people out there in internet land are only interested in being able to send an email and browse the occasional website.

 

[n122vu]

MeDiCS, I would agree. In my opinion, in the last ten years we've gone from "anybody who's anybody or wants people to notice their product, service, etc, has to have a website" to "has to have a facebook page."

In fact, most television commercials now (at least in my area) have gone from listing the website at the bottom to displaying and some even announcing "follow us on facebook and twitter."

 

[ar81]

Yes. The vast majority of Internet users who aren't facebooking/twittering are lurking or watching porn.
Here's a breakdown based on my experiences:
Porn - 50%
Blogs and cat pictures - 20%
Lurkers - 12%
Facebook/Twitter/Myspace/whatever - 8%
People who make webcomics (good AND bad) - 8%
People like us - 2%

Let's imagine there are only 300 million internet users (underestimating the figure on purpose)...

It means 6 million people "like us".

I did not suspect there were 6 million Orbinauts... :hail:

If OH downloads are a good measure, it means many people "like us" are sharing addons instead of downloading, or they are not using addons... :lol:

---------- Post added at 04:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 PM ----------

Or that most don't have the skills but then you seen things like Orbiter, Universe sandbox, celestia, etc.

So yes, skills exist but millions of the people out there in internet land are only interested in being able to send an email and browse the occasional website.

I heard that there are more users and less programmers (due to education crisis, less people who like or study math and programming). Is that true?

 

[garyw]

I heard that there are more users and less programmers (due to education crisis, less people who like or study math and programming). Is that true?

of course. Think of little johnny in a far away land and the parents want to keep in touch with him via a webcam. They are users.

Think of travelling joe who is using the web to update his photo journal.

Think of a friend of mine who is disabled and housebound and who uses the internet for connecting to people that she couldn't otherwise meet.

 

[ar81]

MeDiCS, I would agree. In my opinion, in the last ten years we've gone from "anybody who's anybody or wants people to notice their product, service, etc, has to have a website" to "has to have a facebook page."

In fact, most television commercials now (at least in my area) have gone from listing the website at the bottom to displaying and some even announcing "follow us on facebook and twitter."

I also have heard business people talking about LinkedIn social network for business. I do not see myself updating an account and spending my spare time to grow a social network. I think I am kind of geeky and not very good for socializing in a place where money is the center of everything.

Here people know I am weird. Not all people like space, programming and piloting. It is a turn off if you intend to go for women or if you go to business people.

---------- Post added at 04:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:56 PM ----------

of course. Think of little johnny in a far away land and the parents want to keep in touch with him via a webcam. They are users.

Think of travelling joe who is using the web to update his photo journal.

Think of a friend of mine who is disabled and housebound and who uses the internet for connecting to people that she couldn't otherwise meet.

So do I belong to the "elite" lol: let me laugh at myself by pretending arrogance :lol::rofl as I do some newbie coding in Visual Basic? :tiphat:

 

[AirSimming]

I also was already thinking about that some time ago. And I'm always afraid how rare the chances actually were to see something like Orbiter or Space Shuttle Mission 2007 lately. It's actually only a few handful of people who made it possible.

I'm also afraid how rare the chances are for another good Flight Simulator like Microsoft, now that ACES studios has been closed.

That the majority of people is not at all interested in those things, 4 decades after the first manned lunar landing and decades after Concorde and commercial aviation, makes me somehow think pessimistic about our future. If "fun", porn, and facebook is all that people want, I say good night. Because that's indeed what the internet is basically used for sadly...

 

[Artlav]

Well, it seems to be a universal pattern around this world that there are much less creators than consumers.
Only a handfull of composers, millions of musicians, billions of listeners.

 

[T.Neo]

From what I can tell, almost everyone has a facebook account nowdays. It can be mostly for interacting with their social group, anyway.

I think plenty of people use the 'net for usual, mundane browsing without actually interacting with any communities.

I did not suspect there were 6 million Orbinauts... :hail:

No, it should be 6 million "people like us". So the number of Orbinauts, or MSFS enthusiasts etc would be far lower than that.

Although I would like to know how many people play Orbiter at least occasionally. Or at least how many have downloaded Orbiter... perhaps an estimation could be made from download logs.

 

[AirSimming]

From what I can tell, almost everyone has a facebook account nowdays.

Luckily not me and my circle of friends :thumbup:

I also managed to live without any cellphone for now. I don't even own a wristwatch :lol:

People like me might be called babbitts or oldfashioned, but I do not care at all. Actually, if I would not be interested in space flight and aviation, I wouldn't even need internet.

 

[ar81]

I do not have a facebook or tweeter account. If it is about games I have my own at home.

In a forum you are somehow anonymous, so if you say something stupid, a nick is to blame. But in a social network you are you, and your mistakes are yours. Your only way out is to get out of the social network system.

I do not have a cell phone. I do not intend to fry my brain with microwaves. I am too slow with text messages. When I had a cell phone I just needed it like an old fashioned phone, just to dial a number.

I do not use credit card, I try to avoid dealing with banks, I do not use electronic tellers. It is called "do not take unnecessary risks", since banks mean risk. Banks always win, so it means that you will lose.

I do have an offline life. I do not rely on a post count to feel I am cool, I do not rely on what I call "website reputation" which is how people from a community sees you. If people like me, that's fine, if they hate me, that's unfortunate as probably it could be the result of cultural differences and communication problems.

Just like you, I need the internet for very limited use.

 

[T.Neo]

Luckily not me and my circle of friends :thumbup:

I concur with you... I absolutely refuse to even visit Facebook.

And I too do not wish to own a cellphone. Not because I can't text, or the microwaves will fry my brain, but just because the damn thing goes everywhere and rings at the most annoying moments.

I'm annoyed as it is by landlines. :lol:

 

[ar81]

Hey guys, would you mind if I call you to your phone? I'd use my Ku band antenna from Io...:lol:

 

[Bj]

Internet usage breakdown

What they are online for is another matter. Obviously it would be hard to find the 'true' numbers without ISPs watching all traffic. (which they probably are, they just don't want to admit it.)

 

[ar81]

Hmmm, that's interesting... companies complain about piracy, peer to peer downloads and music and movie downloads... If those numbers are reliable, it means piracy is smaller that they point out, because it is not research, social networking, business, banking, games, paying bills or shopping. So "surfing the net" would be the only category and not everyone would be doing piracy...

And even downloads are not always piracy (downloading orbiter or addons are "surfing the net" to me). Looking for wallpapers or reading the newspaper is surfing the net too.

So if all those categories are true, and Orbiter is not considered "research", then orbinauts are very far from being 6 million people...

 

[Bj]

Hmmm, that's interesting... companies complain about piracy, peer to peer downloads and music and movie downloads... If those numbers are reliable, it means piracy is smaller that they point out, because it is not research, social networking, business, banking, games, paying bills or shopping. So "surfing the net" would be the only category and not everyone would be doing piracy...

And even downloads are not always piracy (downloading orbiter or addons are "surfing the net" to me). Looking for wallpapers or reading the newspaper is surfing the net too.

It is almost guaranteed that some business will overestimate or underestimate or emphasize to their favor. (EG. BP oil spill)

That isn't to say that piracy isn't a big thing though. Also the accuracy of the chart is disputable.

 

[shangding]

wow
in china ,no facebook ,no twitter ,no youtube ,and more.
i need high speed free vpn.