Deakin Library Database
My use of the internet has been mostly at a very superficial level so I had no experience with Telnet before. The task itself was relatively straightforward, especially having the benefit of posts others had made regarding the process. I successfully accessed the Deakin Library database and had records for two authors with the surname Bennahum emailed to me quite quickly using the telnet client on my computer (which I hadn't even realised was there) by typing telnet://library.deakin.edu.au. into my browser then launching the application to handle the link. The interface was certainly rudimentary, but in some instances this could be a benefit not a hindrance.
Blinkenlights
My main thought was why? Someone must have spent a lot of time generating this 'animation' of Star Wars. For me, it demonstrated how far computer graphics have come in their composition and how much we expect graphics to deliver. We also expect programs to be interactive, to have the ability to choose what we see or use, not to have to let it run it's own course and be strictly an observer. At this stage I don't see this application of ascii art as having much relevance to the internet today but I am reluctant to dismiss it due to my lack of experience on that level.
Telnet may be old technology but that does not automatically mean it has no place now. Successful marketing campaigns lead us to expect a "good" program or utility to have a lot of features and interaction, however if there is one that does the task rapidly and efficiently gives the desired outcome surely it has proven it still has a very useful function. I may see its use in a limited field now, but it's certainly something that will be filed in the memory bank. You never know when lateral thinking will strike.
