13 Internet Habits That Don’t Make Sense Anymore
Here's a fun look back at old online habits that feel hilariously outdated today.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
The internet changes faster than almost anything else. What seemed normal online a decade or two ago now feels confusing, clunky, or just plain pointless. Here are 13 internet habits we used to swear by that make zero sense in the modern digital world.
1. Logging Off to “Save the Computer”
Marta Klement on Pexels
People used to log off chat rooms and email so the family computer could “rest.” Today, laptops run for weeks without breaking a sweat.
2. Printing Out MapQuest Directions
ayngelina on Flickr
Before GPS and smartphones, road trips meant stacks of printed directions. Missing a turn often left you frantically flipping paper at a gas station.
3. Manually Clearing Browser History for Speed
Burst on Unsplash
Back in the day, people swore that deleting cookies and history made the internet faster. In reality, it usually slowed down pages because the cache had to reload.
4. Collecting “Free Trial” CDs for Internet Access
Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
AOL and other providers mailed endless CD-ROMs promising hours of free dial-up. People actually saved stacks of them, thinking it was valuable digital currency.
5. Adding Music to Personal Web Pages
Stephanie Booth on Flickr
From Myspace to Geocities, having an auto-play song on your profile was peak internet cool. Friends either jammed along or frantically scrambled to mute their speakers.
6. Signing Guestbooks on Random Websites
Arina Krasnikova on Pexels
In the early web, leaving your name in a site’s “guestbook” was the ultimate way to say you’d been there. It was like digital graffiti, but for complete strangers.
7. Waiting Hours for a Single Song to Download
Alle-Kalle Projects on Wikimedia Commons
Napster and LimeWire users remember the thrill of a song finishing after three hours… if the download didn’t fail. By the time it was done, you might not even like the track anymore.
8. Typing “www” Before Every Website
Rock1997 on Wikimedia Commons
Older guides taught everyone to type “www.” to start a web address. Modern browsers automatically do the work, making that extra step feel ancient.
9. Using “Away Messages” Like a Diary
mynetx on Flickr
On AIM and MSN Messenger, your away message was basically a mini social feed. People left cryptic song lyrics or dramatic life updates for friends to decode.
10. Forwarding Chain Emails for Luck
Andrey Novik on Unsplash
“If you don’t send this to 10 friends, bad luck will follow” was once a legitimate threat to some. Entire inboxes were cluttered with sparkly GIFs and questionable warnings.
11. Creating Multiple Folders for Bookmarks
Amit Gupta on Flickr
Back then, organizing bookmarks into endless subfolders felt productive. In reality, no one ever revisited half of them. Search engines and autofill have made digging through “Recipes > Summer > Desserts > Cookies” pointless.
12. Logging Off During Phone Calls
cottonbro studio on Pexels
Dial-up meant that the internet and phone couldn’t coexist. If someone picked up the house phone, your online session died instantly.
13. Checking Email Once a Day
orji joseph on Unsplash
Back when inboxes weren’t glued to our pockets, people checked email like they checked the mailbox. It was a slow, ritualistic part of daily life.