| To me, the Wild West is the old days of the Internet. You know what I'm talking about, approx. 1995-1998. Before all the corporations took over. I'm talking about prime-time TV specials about how 6 year old children could obtain instructions on constructing nuclear weapons. I'm talking about warez sites that had links that went somewhere. I'm talking about the days when the Internet was synonymous with "That thing you get porn from."
I remember my old high-school days, spending lunchtimes trying to circumvent the school's Internet filter (laughably easy). I remember teachers who would not allow us to use the Internet for school projects because they did not believe that it contained reliable information, and it would be more valuable for us to learn to research in more conventional methods. I remember reading about that poor kid who lost a hand making a bomb from instructions on the Internet. (Note to children thinking of trying a copycat stunt: Drill the fuse hole BEFORE packing the tube with gunpowder.)
The Internet is not like that anymore. I can't just idly surf anymore. E2 has become my Internet. Outside it's all credit card scams and banner ads. The only times I venture out of E2 now is when I'm looking for something specific. Once upon a time I could just sift through the myriad information for hours on end. Now the poor spelling bugs me. The Internet was great until normal people found out about it. | 
