How did we survive waiting three hours to download one song from Limewire, only to find it wasn't even the right one? - ThreadSky

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com • 94 days ago

How did we survive waiting three hours to
download one song from Limewire, only to find
it wasn't even the right one?

Comments

If I recall correctly, there was a preview feature when enough of it downloaded.
I can hear the garbled static noise now

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I don't remember that. But I don't doubt it. It seems there's a lot I don't remember. But that noise? Who can forget that noise...

johnathanperk.bsky.social•94 days ago

Brutal stuff

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Right? Today, we'd never stand for it.

generic402.bsky.social•94 days ago

We're built different.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I think we had a lot more patience back then.

agcuniverse.bsky.social•94 days ago

We were built different

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

True. We had a lot more patience back then. Not like today.

ephemeralgizz.bsky.social•94 days ago

The anticipation is what truly made us feel alive

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

That's true. The "will it be the right one?" kept us wanting more.

debwilson.me•93 days ago

Those of us that were serious pirated through the postal system. Full albums, burned as data, making trades of sometimes hundreds of CDs or DVDs at a time

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Wow. Really? I guess most of us really were small-time "crooks."

debwilson.me•93 days ago

Yeah with people from countries all over the world. Sometimes people traded hard drives full of full albums.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Wow. I had no idea of any of this. So interesting.

debwilson.me•93 days ago

There was a website where you could use upload a catalog of all your albums, including bitrate, and a bunch of other info, and you could initiate trades with other members. There was a rating system too to help ensure good trades.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I don't remember that but then again, I was more into the singles than the albums. I'm a variety girl, through and through.

wyld3ang3l.bsky.social•94 days ago

While also taking on the gamble of a virus being attached! I didn’t use limewire much but I do remember the early Napster days and Kazaa.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Yes. I used Napster but I don't remember Kazaa. And yes, I'd keep my anti virus software cued up, just in case. Good times.

chiclit02.bsky.social•94 days ago

We didn't know anything different.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

That's true. If it meant we'd get a song that would bring us hours of happiness, we'd do it.

confused-alien.bsky.social•93 days ago

"...my fellow Americans..."

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

We listened to a speech by the POTUS?

renegcepeda.bsky.social•94 days ago

OR, it was a for_whom_the_bells_toll_xXripperzXx.mp3.exe and you got screwed

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Lol. Exactly!

siko13.bsky.social•93 days ago

Psssh... I remember those days! Dial-up internet days!!!... Bahaha!! 😆

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I heard a sound on a video that reminded me of that sound. That's how I came up w/this post. 😁

cigarsandwhiskey.bsky.social•93 days ago

Hey, I need to use the phone. Get off the computer.

siko13.bsky.social•93 days ago

Yeah, the early, "dial-up days".... Hahaha 😂😂😂

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

NOooooooooooooooo

siko13.bsky.social•93 days ago

No? I guess, I missed tht joke frm the very beginning... hehe smh

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Well, I responded as the person who was on the computer...not the one who needs the phone.😁

siko13.bsky.social•93 days ago

Ah, quite the comedian, you are, My Dear Kathryn... 😆😆😆

warmwestwind.bsky.social•94 days ago

well, you see, Link, he come to town. he come to save the princess Zelda

t0mmy44.dev•94 days ago

Our dopamine circuits were not yet fully conquered, so we could actually tolerate being bored? And there was other cool stuff to do

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

True. But I can remember my connection being shaky and I was afraid to close the window and go do something else.

virgoempress.bsky.social•94 days ago

I swear the days back then had 36 hours not 24 because those slow ass downloads…SMH

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

They sure felt like it, didn't they? We had nothing but time...

salmonbella.bsky.social•94 days ago

Now that brings back memories.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

For me as well, BellaLover. 😁

whpshw.bsky.social•94 days ago

You ever jerk off to a dot matrix printer? The heart wants what the heart wants, my man.

masuyotobi.bsky.social•94 days ago

I get just as upset when my 22 hr audiobook doesn't download instantly.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

Right? I'm out walking and i try to download a podcast and I'll give it about 10 secs tops and then I'm refreshing. It's crazy how fast we expect things now.

gtbtr.bsky.social•94 days ago

Queued up like 5 or 6 at a time to download overnight

johnathanperk.bsky.social•94 days ago

This

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

That was smart, Rev. I was always worried that someone would call/need to make a call/my computer would crash. I woke up one too many times to disappointment.

luckyhedron.bsky.social•94 days ago

We had things to do Outside in the meantime while it was downloading

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Excellent point, lucky. Or, we could take a nap because, why not?

kokaneejohn.bsky.social•94 days ago

You reminded me of a friend who took all day to download a movie he had always wanted to watch. Turned out;
It was not in English. Not even subtitles. 😂🤣

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Oh nooooo. Lol. I'm sorry to laugh, but that was a common challenge back in those days. And not even subtitles? UGH.

voixnoir.bsky.social•94 days ago

You get mad. You get even. Change the name to another popular song and share it with the next person.

When we suffer, we suffer together.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

Lol. Very true!

shmootoo.bsky.social•93 days ago

I had napster but never used limewire - by the time it came out I was already in the world of torrents and wasn't looking back

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Good on you, Wiley. Saved yourself a lot of grief.

reyak.bsky.social•94 days ago

Song my ass. I was DLing movies from WinMX. Some took an hour or two. Others took days if they ever finished.

hiresx.bsky.social•94 days ago

English homework

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

Ah. You must've gotten straight A's.

hiresx.bsky.social•94 days ago

I still hate doing outlines

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

Me too.

hiresx.bsky.social•94 days ago

Eh
Advanced placement slacker?
I did okay though lol

phatosas.bsky.social•94 days ago

The viruses we exposed our computers to those days

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

So true. But did we care? Well, maybe just a little. But we still did it.

maryk212.bsky.social•93 days ago

Oh I remember Limewire! 🙃

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Those were the days?

maryk212.bsky.social•93 days ago

I distinctly remember trying to download songs and being completely bummed out when they weren’t what I thought they were.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Always. They'd be some 13yo kid playing his electric guitar (but always w/o it being plugged in 'cause his parents said no) and his voice would crack.

maryk212.bsky.social•93 days ago

😆

adjunctangel.bsky.social•94 days ago

by pausing all other downloads until it was fast finished then resuming them if it was the right one...?

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

YES. I definitely remember doing this, now that you've mentioned it.

ast910.bsky.social•93 days ago

🤣🤣🤣

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I'm glad we've connected, Amy-

ast910.bsky.social•93 days ago

Me, too! 😊

akaremi.bsky.social•94 days ago

Attention spans were prestige back then

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

We were young, patient and SO psyched if we found the right tune and we didn't download a virus.

comminsense.bsky.social•93 days ago

That’s a follow!

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I'm happy we've connected, CommonSense. Hopefully, you'll be busier in the future than you have been lately...

comminsense.bsky.social•93 days ago

Work project consuming me this week. It’s drudgery

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

It always is...at least the holidays should help to slow things down.

roguefistintheair.bsky.social•94 days ago

The thrill of the unknown 😂

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Yeah, "thrill" was one word. "Stress" and sometimes in the case of possible viruses, "terror" would be another.

carriereads.bsky.social•94 days ago

And then I was all nervous like the police would show up at my door and arrest me for downloading music for free

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

I know, right?! And every time we heard about a sting, I was sure they'd come after little us. But that rush you'd get when you finished and logged off like, "YEAH. We got away with it, Lacey!"

carriereads.bsky.social•94 days ago

Hahaha. Truth. We always knew someone who knew someone who got arrested for pirated music

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

That's so true. Rumors ran rampant.

princesstoothfairy.bsky.social•93 days ago

I got elbow tendinitis from downloading hundreds of songs on Napster 👽 and limewire early 90’s .. hoped you would get at least 10 downloaded after a day out shopping

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

You were a dedicated believer, Sparkler. Hey if you're gonna do it, ya gotta go all in. 😁

jaketurk1971.bsky.social•94 days ago

Or just Rickrolled. Ah, the good ol'days.

fred-garvin.bsky.social•93 days ago

However, I do have hundreds of free albums from naptser :)

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Oh wow. Good on you, Fred.

fred-garvin.bsky.social•93 days ago

eicol.bsky.social•94 days ago

The number of songs I listened to with a DJ talking over the end because someone had recorded it off the radio. Painful.

mgatormel.bsky.social•93 days ago

Same. And the hours spent sitting in front of the radio just to hit the record button at the right moment 😂

succulentlovers.bsky.social•93 days ago

After you called the station several times to request said song 🎶

We do have more patience than I thought o

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Absolutely we did. But didn't we feel oh so special when they played our request?

mgatormel.bsky.social•93 days ago

The crowning achievement was laying down the perfect mix tape. Really, was there any greater satisfaction? 😂

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Nope. And then you'd look to burn it for everyone you knew, 'cause you were so damn proud of it. 😁

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I know! There were so many things that could go wrong and it seemed like the longer Limewire was out, the more crap you ran the risk of downloading.

obsidianraven.bsky.social•94 days ago

We had patience. It was a world before immediacy. The Internet has ruined our chances for evolution.

creepyunicorn.bsky.social•94 days ago

Some didnt. When their parents found out they had spent three hours downloading a song via dial up connection.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Oh no. 😬

rachelbell44.bsky.social•94 days ago

Same but BitTorrent

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Lol

misterthekitty.bsky.social•94 days ago

😹

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

Oh wow! I loved that lime green color. It = happiness! Thanks for the memories, Kitty. 💕

soniavc.bsky.social•93 days ago

'No no not the remix' -me in 2002

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Lol

hoopthereitisnt.bsky.social•94 days ago

"It wasn't even the right one..." is such an understatement. 😂😭

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

OMG. Some of it was just so...wrong.

toddyb-seattle.bsky.social•94 days ago

Or to discover it was scratchy, or was DJ Clue’s remix. Those were the days!

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

Or it was somebody's home version, which they sang in the shower with the sound of SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH going throughout it. (True story)

iceman12336.bsky.social•94 days ago

I can still hear the tones trying to connect

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

God, I just remember how shaky my connection was. If I breathed on my monitor, it would disconnect. I had to disable the screensaver and not even move the mouse. It was stressful af.

iceman12336.bsky.social•94 days ago

Yeah best part was when your parent needed the phone

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Or one of your siblings. That was the worst.

sussuz.bsky.social•93 days ago

How did I sit by the radio for hours waiting to hit “record” on my tape player? And we thought that was fantastic, not having to buy the whole album.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Right. It was worth it to have a bit of the DJ saying something if we could get it for free. I seem to recall a booth at the mall where you could have a cassette made with mixed singles. I thought it was the BEST.

seananomaly.bska.social•94 days ago

three hours? for one song? pft, those are amateur numbers

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Hey, I never professed to be a pro.

zakurello.bsky.social•94 days ago

Amateur.
Have you ever tried to download a Disney film overnight for a family film Sunday, just to find out it is actually an "adult" action film?

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Lol. First belly laugh of my Sunday. Thanks for that. No, I can't say I have, Zakrello. I would have been HORRIFIED.

aretezayin.bsky.social•94 days ago

Or even better download, Albuquerque.Weird.Al.mp3.exe

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

😁

johnsjustsaiyan.bsky.social•94 days ago

Desperation, lack of funds, we were all so young lets be so serious 🥲😂

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

It's true, John. That's why we were willing to risk all the viruses we got.

johnsjustsaiyan.bsky.social•93 days ago

I'll never forget my first Internet virus fueled ass whooping

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Oh no. We all got in trouble for something internet related, I'm imagining...

antgr.bsky.social•94 days ago

we listened to the one song we downloaded before on repeat. ALL 3 HOURS

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

LOL

josephharn.bsky.social•94 days ago

Takes no time to download my song 👀 https://youtu.be/T4BB3pTrL70?si=zcCtGRpoUSDIWp6D

reginas71.bsky.social•93 days ago

Yes and Napster! I never knew what surprise song was waiting

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

It was all just a big crap shoot.

gigliorananomicom.bsky.social•94 days ago

We had other shit to do in the meantime?

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

I suppose. I guess we would pace ourselves.

kitvalentina.bsky.social•94 days ago

Simple: Our hyper fixations told us we had to find the right one, and it didn't matter how long it took. At least that's how it worked for me XD

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

That is so true. And you had to ensure that your screensaver didn't kick on a boot you off

kitvalentina.bsky.social•94 days ago

GOD, right?! It was a whole other world then. Like.. I remember having burned CDs I listened to religiously because it wasn't something on the radio. Burning that CD was also a task that took fucking time. e.e

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

I remember burning CDs for my family & friends...mainly to listen to in the car. And you're right, the radio became too "talky" for most of us, ie: commercials.

kitvalentina.bsky.social•94 days ago

That's exactly it. Now we listen to podcasts XD But, I remember those days fondly. Seemed so much simpler then.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•94 days ago

It WAS simpler back then. For sure. 💕

aethelshane.bsky.social•94 days ago

Wait, you guys downloaded music in hours? Took me days on dialup, juggling keeping the landline clear for calls during the day and a 20 hours per month internet package. That taught our generation patience and handling disappointment like a champ when we downloaded trash.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

If I was lucky, it only took about an hour on average. And yes, I had the same issue w/ppl calling or needing to use the phone. I don't remember the time limit...I guess I'd blocked that out. 😁

cigarsandwhiskey.bsky.social•93 days ago

Those were some rough times. If only we knew how worse it would get.

kathrynkatiekwrites.substack.com•93 days ago

Well, that depends on to what you are referring. I mean, tech-wise, we're obviously lightyears better off. I guess we can't have it all.

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