--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to think back to the '90s. The…" description: "\"You have to think back to the '90s. The computer was this terrible-looking thing that was trying to compete with the television. And it was this idea o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/tim-wu-7845_chat_you-have-to-think-back-to-the-90s-the-co_1289838.png" --- # You have to think back to the '90s. The computer was this… ![“You have to think back to the '90s. The computer was this terrible-looking thing that was trying to compete with the television. And it was this idea of email and chat rooms and this kind of stuff that first people - got people there.” quote by Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/tim-wu-7845_chat_you-have-to-think-back-to-the-90s-the-co_1289838.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/tim-wu-7845_chat_you-have-to-think-back-to-the-90s-the-co_1289838.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/tim-wu-7845_chat_you-have-to-think-back-to-the-90s-the-co_1289838.png) > “You have to think back to the '90s. The computer was this terrible-looking thing that was trying to compete with the television. And it was this idea of email and chat rooms and this kind of stuff that first people - got people there.” [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on early 1990s tech, describing computers as clunky rivals to TV and the birth of email and chat rooms. **In simple terms:** Early computers were awkward and tried to beat TV; email and chat began then. Key Takeaway Remember how new tech once seemed clunky. Themes technology evolution digital history communication Mood nostalgic reflective Type historical informative When to use this quote - tech adoption - digital nostalgia - communication shifts Key Concepts media competition online community Questions to Reflect On - How did you first use email? - What parallels exist between past and current tech hype? A Different Perspective Early tech hype can overlook practical limitations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [90S Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/90s-computer-4197886/) [Chat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chat/) [Chat room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chat-room/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computer Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-terrible-4197887/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Email](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/email/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Think 90S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-90s-421529/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [America Online customers are upset because the company has decided to allow advertising in its chat rooms. I can see why: you got computer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/america-online-customers-are-upset-because-the-company-has-decided-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Instant messaging and chat rooms have basically created a level playing field for deaf people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instant-messaging-and-chat-rooms-have-basically-created-a-level/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the more popular activities was “Talk-O-Matic”. Five people at a time could write messages, and read each other's messages, on the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-consolmagno/one-of-the-more-popular-activities-was-talk-o-matic-five-people-at-a/) [Guy Consolmagno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-consolmagno/) > [The dialogue and conversation about food is everywhere - television, chat rooms, social media outlets and among everyday conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-samuelsson/the-dialogue-and-conversation-about-food-is-everywhere-television/) [Marcus Samuelsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-samuelsson/) > [If I got involved with the chat rooms and Facebook and everything - I would probably never leave. That's why I don't do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/if-i-got-involved-with-the-chat-rooms-and-facebook-and-everything-i/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [I think the beauty of chat rooms is that you can have your anonymity of course, and you can choose to be raunchy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-clarkson/i-think-the-beauty-of-chat-rooms-is-that-you-can-have-your-anonymity/) [Patricia Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-clarkson/) > [I was involved with MySpace and Facebook and everything at a very young age because it's so casual now, and I'm into texting, obviously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liana-liberato/i-was-involved-with-myspace-and-facebook-and-everything-at-a-very/) [Liana Liberato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liana-liberato/) > [What troubles me is the Internet and the electronic technology revolution. Shyness is fueled in part by so many people spending huge amounts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/what-troubles-me-is-the-internet-and-the-electronic-technology/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [LIFE SUCKS I JUST GOT KICKED OFF THE CHAT ROOM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ondraya/life-sucks-i-just-got-kicked-off-the-chat-room/) [Ondraya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ondraya/) > [I started using the Internet when I was 12 years old. I would go into chat rooms and flirt. It was the beginning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coppola-schwartzman/i-started-using-the-internet-when-i-was-12-years-old-i-would-go-into/) [Robert Coppola Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coppola-schwartzman/) > [I have spent many a night in an Internet chat room, but not since I've been married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/i-have-spent-many-a-night-in-an-internet-chat-room-but-not-since-i-ve/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [With 950 reporters and 79 bureaus, Bloomberg competes to break news with Dow Jones, Reuters and Bridge News along with newspaper Web sites, dozens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/with-950-reporters-and-79-bureaus-bloomberg-competes-to-break-news/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [“It is a way now, approximately, of being at home. The forum has become one of the most consistent places of her life, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/it-is-a-way-now-approximately-of-being-at-home-the-forum-has-become/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“Ryan: I'm not a big fan of a tell nothing text message demanding I come to a chat room. Lilianna: You demanded that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-willaston/ryan-i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-a-tell-nothing-text-message-demanding-i/) [H.R. Willaston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-willaston/) > [“The dinosaurs died so that chat rooms may flourish”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-dinosaurs-died-so-that-chat-rooms-may-flourish/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More by Tim Wu > [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [When you pay for stuff, it has more of your interests in heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/when-you-pay-for-stuff-it-has-more-of-your-interests-in-heart/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“JUST WHAT IS GOOGLE? 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You cannot go a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/now-he-doesn-t-control-the-media-but-donald-trump-has-been-incredibly/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [The best antidote to the disruptive power of innovation is overregulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/the-best-antidote-to-the-disruptive-power-of-innovation-is/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“In 1956, two psychologists, Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, would conclude that television’s representation of celebrities was carefully constructed to create an “illusion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-1956-two-psychologists-donald-horton-and-richard-wohl-would/) [tim wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“Markets are born free, yet no sooner are they born than some would-be emperor is forging chains. Paradoxically,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/markets-are-born-free-yet-no-sooner-are-they-born-than-some-would-be/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [I want to say, however, one thing our media in America has done which didn't happen in other totalitarian states is it has very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-want-to-say-however-one-thing-our-media-in-america-has-done-which/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Advertising just keeps getting heavier and heavier and heavier. It doesn't have any natural limit, and we haven't found the place for the limit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/advertising-just-keeps-getting-heavier-and-heavier-and-heavier-it/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [I wish more of the web had stayed nonprofit. But the advertising model took over and I think has delivered us to where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-wish-more-of-the-web-had-stayed-nonprofit-but-the-advertising-model/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [There's always people - it doesn't take many - who have a different psychological makeup than most of us who really get joy out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/there-s-always-people-it-doesn-t-take-many-who-have-a-different/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [In the media, traditional media like print, we had boundaries. You know, we had spaces that ads didn't leave. They stayed where they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-the-media-traditional-media-like-print-we-had-boundaries-you-know/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Google - and some of the other sites, YouTube and, you know - Google has an amazing search engine. The map product is incredible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-and-some-of-the-other-sites-youtube-and-you-know-google-has-an/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [One thing that all the totalitarian states did was make the great leader's face everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/one-thing-that-all-the-totalitarian-states-did-was-make-the-great/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) [Explore all 87 Tim Wu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) ## More Chat quotes > [People bemoan the loss of watercooler chat, but I think that there's more of that than ever. It's just that it's online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/people-bemoan-the-loss-of-watercooler-chat-but-i-think-that-there-s/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [IDGAF..Go Ugly Up Someone Elses Chat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-fletcher/idgaf-go-ugly-up-someone-elses-chat/) [Doris Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-fletcher/) > [It's amazing when I do a gig how many people of different ages come up to me afterwards and chat to me about songs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-henderson/it-s-amazing-when-i-do-a-gig-how-many-people-of-different-ages-come/) [Ella Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-henderson/) > [Chat to me back, chat to me back. Dem pop down buh we still hot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-saw/chat-to-me-back-chat-to-me-back-dem-pop-down-buh-we-still-hot/) [Lady Saw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-saw/) > [People want chat histories. They're a permanent testimony of a relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-acton/people-want-chat-histories-they-re-a-permanent-testimony-of-a/) [Brian Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-acton/) > [“I love a friendly chat and a friendly glass of wine during the evening - the time they call, for some accountable reason, 'between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/i-love-a-friendly-chat-and-a-friendly-glass-of-wine-during-the/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [Yeah and that's the thing, you can have a 100 different chat shows, they can all look the same and do the same thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-drake/yeah-and-that-s-the-thing-you-can-have-a-100-different-chat-shows/) [Eli Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-drake/) > [Too much agreement kills the chat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay-chapman/too-much-agreement-kills-the-chat/) [John Jay Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay-chapman/) > [“the more they chat and gossip—the more they get done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/the-more-they-chat-and-gossip-the-more-they-get-done/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Sure, for a one-to-one chat about life, the universe and everything, give me a woman. But when it comes to a group gathering, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/sure-for-a-one-to-one-chat-about-life-the-universe-and-everything/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [I like to chat either at my site or, sometimes, through MSN and ICQ. And even if I do reveal my identity, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-shroff/i-like-to-chat-either-at-my-site-or-sometimes-through-msn-and-icq-and/) [Jackie Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-shroff/) > [This is CARIS SOURN she is amazing!!! PICTURE CHAT ME!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivan/this-is-caris-sourn-she-is-amazing-picture-chat-me/) [VIVAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivan/) > [Young adults living with a stutter is hard work. How do they handle job interviews? 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