[asciimov]

Well for starters, we used to call it "Surfing the Internet" not "exploring the internet".

The modern web was designed to rope you in and keep you there. Look up random stuff that interests you, not using a big name search engine. Then if you find a site on a webring, and look at connecting sites.

[marginalia_nu]

A lot of the original metaphors for "using" the internet carry connotations of exploration or perusing, but they've been in use for so long the meaning has sort of gotten worn off.

Listen to these words and think about what they actually mean: Internet Explorer, or Web Browser, even Netscape Navigator with its nautical theme has such connotations.

[makapuf]

You can add konqueror, and safari to this list

[foobarbecue]

Haha I'm sure it was "surfing the web" ... I never heard anyone say "surfing the internet"

[asciimov]

You're right, it was never internet. For me it was net or web, but it was always surfing.

A little further back it advertising called it the "Information Superhighway"

[0134340]

You might get a kick out of watching old NetCafe or Computer Chronicles episodes on archive.org, fellow netizen. Did anyone ever really use that term? I like to playfully use it after watching NetCafe episodes a few years ago.

[ape4]

You mean Internet Explorer isn't for exploring the internet!

[MonaroVXR]

Internet Explorer?