Creation of a new internet user

In the begining, there were bad jokes

[hannamyluv]

I finally let my son on the internet. He's 10. And I have been watching him from the corner of my eye while he has been surfing. I consider it a good lesson in how normal people surf the web. But beyond that, it has occured to me there seems to be a few standard things people of all ages do when they are new to the internet.

1) They discover that bad jokes are suddenly funnier when read online and must be shared with everyone. I haven't told him yet that he can email them too. That's a monster I am not sure I want to release knowingly. ;)

2) Animated GIFs are amazing and are not used enough. This is truely odd when you consider that he is impressed with 2 or 3 layered animated GIFs when has access to movies made with top of the line animation

3) And every dumb question they might never have thought of before must now be answered. Right. This. Minute.

[Essex_boy]

Has he discovered teh diffreence between a browser search box and the URL address line at the top?

That was my biggest problem when I first came to the web. (some would say my limited social skills went down hill from then on)

[rocknbil]

^ ^ ^ I have a client who STILL gets 6 or 7 of these a year. It's always "your site is not working" when the specific member page they're supposed to enter in the address bar is not indexed on msn.

Part of that problem is the MSN interface, and it totally annoys me. The users are in a frameset and the "address" bar is a search box pointed at MSN. And their mail - you can't EVEN copy a link it's so munged up. ARRRRGH! </rant>

hannamyluv I'd say to tell him before he begins "sharing" his newfound info with friends to point him to the snopes site, but the urban legend and other debunking/confirming info there is so broad some of it is not appropriate for someone who's 10. So tag you're it! :-)

Wait until he finds a free games site. Your antivirus is all up to date, right?