I was careful in choosing this column topic because it is the first column that will appear on our new Web site. What better subject for the new site, I thought, than the progression of technology?

While I am no expert in this field, it always amazes me to think about how things have changed in the 10 years since I graduated from high school.

As part of the Class of 1998, I was in the last generation at Chilton County High School to learn how to type on an actual typewriter. And I will maintain to this day that it’s the best way to learn how to type (I didn’t say typewriters are the best tools for typesetting).

We had an electric typewriter at home, and all during my high school years it was used for my typed assignments. It was loud at times, and annoying when the correction tape ran out (that was my favorite feature), but it got the job done.

My first real introduction to computers was in Mrs. Huff’s class in my junior year of high school. This was really my first exposure to the Internet, e-mail and all that stuff we take for granted these days.

Of course, all the computers had a dial-up connection and took a good bit longer to access the Web than those we operate today. But in 1997, for those of us who didn’t have computers at home, it was pretty amazing.

We got our first home computer in 1999, while I was taking college courses. I helped my parents pay for it because I used it regularly doing coursework, which would have been difficult without it.

Technology is a funny thing. I say this because appearance can be deceiving. For example, people who meet me in the office always comment on how “advanced” and “cool” my Mac with its flat screen monitor looks, but they don’t realize that soon it will be obsolete.

It will be interesting to read someone’s column on the same subject 10 years from now.