internet bench

{{short description|Internet-enabled bench}}

{{Use Oxford spelling|date=July 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

File:The World's First Internet Bench.jpg

The internet bench, also known as the "cyber seat", was the first internet-enabled bench. It was installed in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, on 6 August 2001.{{Cite web|title=Oldest internet bench|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-internet-bench/|access-date=30 June 2020|work=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630120815/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-internet-bench/|archive-date=30 June 2020|url-status=live}} It was customized to allow seating for four people at a time who could plug their laptops into modem jacks for free. The bench became popular as a picture-taking location and was also covered by international television crews. With the advent of Wi-Fi, the bench was deactivated.{{when|date=July 2020}} It holds a Guinness World Record for being the "oldest internet bench".

Description

The internet bench was installed in the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds by MSN (owned by Microsoft) with the support of the St Edmundsbury Borough Council.{{Cite web|title=The world's first online park bench |work=Cambridge Network|url=https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/the-world-s-first-online-park-bench|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630121542/https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/the-world-s-first-online-park-bench|archive-date=30 June 2020|access-date=30 June 2020}}{{Cite news|date=6 August 2001|title=Park bench goes online|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1475654.stm|url-status=live|access-date=30 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214185043/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1475654.stm|archive-date=14 February 2015}} It supported four people at a time who could plug their laptops into provided modem jacks for free. MSN said they chose Bury St. Edmunds after receiving "applications from local authorities around the country". It cost about £60 for the bench and £30 for the modem.{{Cite web|last=Sapsted|first=David|date=31 December 2001|title=Cyber seat brings internet out in the open|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1336612/Cyber-seat-brings-internet-out-in-the-open.html|access-date=30 June 2020|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630125620/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1336612/Cyber-seat-brings-internet-out-in-the-open.html|archive-date=30 June 2020|url-status=live}} MSN agreed to pay for the modem for three months, after which it was the local council's responsibility to pay if they wanted to continue the project.

History

The first user was Brian Bagnall, mayor of Bury St. Edmunds.{{Cite web|date=7 August 2001|title=Bury St Edmunds: Shrine Of A King, Cradle Of The Law – And Now Home Of The World's First Internet Bench|url=https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/bury-st-edmunds-shrine-of-a-king-cradle-of-the-law-and-now-home-of-the-worlds-first-internet-bench-07-08-2001/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630133942/https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/bury-st-edmunds-shrine-of-a-king-cradle-of-the-law-and-now-home-of-the-worlds-first-internet-bench-07-08-2001/|archive-date=30 June 2020|access-date=30 June 2020|website=Local Government Chronicle (LGC)|language=en}}

During its first days, the bench was vandalized when someone tried to "block one of the modem plugs".{{Cite web|title=Internet Bench' Makes Free International Calls|url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/ispnews/archives2001a/arc14.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630130330/https://www.ispreview.co.uk/ispnews/archives2001a/arc14.shtml|archive-date=30 June 2020|access-date=30 June 2020|website=ispreview.co.uk}}{{Cite news|title=Internet bench has interesting first week|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/internet-bench-has-interesting-first-week-1.281669|url-status=live|access-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630133344/https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/internet-bench-has-interesting-first-week-1.281669|archive-date=30 June 2020}}

BBC News reported that on first few days of the launch, two teenagers discovered that the bench could be used to make free international calls, so they phoned the local council to tell them about the problem, and also tried to reach Bill Gates but were only able to reach his secretary.{{Cite web|title=All Is Revealed on the Web!|url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/244649.all-is-revealed-on-the-web/|access-date=30 June 2020|newspaper=The Westmorland Gazette|date=17 August 2001 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630131432/https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/244649.all-is-revealed-on-the-web/|archive-date=30 June 2020|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|date=9 August 2001|title=Bad start for internet bench|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1481783.stm|url-status=live|access-date=30 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630132020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1481783.stm|archive-date=30 June 2020}}{{Cite news|last=Sapsted|first=David|date=9 August 2001|title=Bury's cyber seat attracts two hackers|language=en-GB|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1336966/Burys-cyber-seat-attracts-two-hackers.html|url-status=live|access-date=30 June 2020|issn=0307-1235|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630134255/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1336966/Burys-cyber-seat-attracts-two-hackers.html|archive-date=30 June 2020}} After that, engineers disabled the ability to make long-distance calls.

Ann Clarke, a local council spokeswoman, said that people were fascinated with the bench; according to her, TV crews from Japan and Korea showed "intense media interest". She added that people would come to the bench just to take pictures with it. The bench was regularly patrolled and the garden where the bench was located was locked at night to prevent vandalism.

Owing to the advent of Wi-Fi, the bench was deactivated,{{when|date=July 2020}} and now has a plaque stating that while it was innovative in 2001, it has been "superseded".{{Cite web|title=This location marks the site of the world's first internet bench. The 2001 technology (dial-up internet connection), whilst innovative at the time, has since been superseded|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-worlds-first-internet-enabled-park-bench|work=Atlas Obscura|access-date=30 June 2020}}

Guinness World Record

It holds a Guinness World Record for being the "oldest internet bench".

Gallery

File:The Internet Bench - geograph.org.uk - 284758.jpg|The bench's top plaque before it was disconnected

File:Internet bench lower plaque.jpg|The bench's bottom plaque

File:No WI-FI here Internet Bench - geograph.org.uk - 284761.jpg|Two of the modem jacks on the bench

File:The World's First Internet Bench - geograph.org.uk - 284756.jpg|The bench in 2006

References