How CBC's Midday went digital with holiday wishes in 1996
Holiday segment showed viewers how to make a web page that could act as a Christmas card
Twenty-two Decembers ago, the internet was still a relatively new thing to many people.
That's why Midday co-host Tina Srebotnjak had to explain in some detail to viewers that some web users had begun "making their own web pages that are all about themselves."
Back then, Midday invited technology columnist Tim Doyle to explain to viewers just what this phenomenon was all about.
Putting a holiday spin on things, Doyle and Midday co-host Brent Bambury created a personal web page that could serve as the show's Christmas card.
"It's internet fever all over the place," replied Doyle, "The internet's a new medium so people want to get on it."
He explained that unlike email, which is "just a text document" sent to someone else, the "internet is based on HTML," and thus a webpage could be much more engaging.
Offering tips on what to include on a page, Doyle said to keep it simple and understandable.
"Also you don't want to go crazy on the graphics because most people don't have a really fast connection," and they'll go away, he warned.
A 'cutting-edge' Christmas card?
"OK, so let's make a simple Christmas card," said Bambury.
Keeping it simple, Bambury and Doyle agreed on "Ho Ho Ho from Midday" as a holiday message.
Having inserted the working title into a computer program Doyle was running, they could move along to adding a picture, made easy with a scanned photo.
Scanning could be done at stores where you got your pictures developed, or "the people who do photocopying now will scan your photographs for you," said Bambury.
"They're on the cutting edge as well," agreed Doyle.
'Let's be a little less ambitious'
In a bid to make the generic Midday picture postcard a little more seasonal, Bambury asked if it were possible to "draw a beard on me, or give a Santa hat to Tina, that kind of thing?"
"Let's be a little less ambitious," Doyle advised, choosing a Christmas tree border for the web page.
"This is fine and good but can this be interactive?" asked Bambury.
"Will people be able to email us after they visit the card? Can they send their own cards to us? That kind of thing?" he added, referring to Midday viewers.
Using the web page-making program, Doyle then added the option for visitors to click on a highlighted email address.
"And that's what called a button, right?" asked Bambury.
Yes, Doyle replied, adding that "when someone sort of caresses it with their little browser button, or whatever, it'll bring up an internet mail message."
No stamp necessary
The final step proved a bit of a mystery to Bambury.
"How do we place this onto the World Wide Web?" he asked.
Doyle explained that after you publish it on your computer, you have to ask your internet service provider, and it "becomes free with your subscription, so it's this great little perk."
"So this is gonna save on postage for us this year?" Bambury said.
"Absolutely," Doyle said. "Instead of sitting at the kitchen table, slaving over cards, getting the postage, getting them in on time, you can stick this up on the web, and in the selfish age let people come to you."