Could you Live Without the Internet?
I don't think I could but what do others think?
David
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I'm with you David. Imagine something as basic as having to use a postal service to send messages. It would take forever to have a "conversation2 and bankrupt you in stamp costs.
Colin
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I know I definitely couldn't - it's my first port of call for virtually everything. Imagine having to resort to "Yellow Pages" again - and that only gives you local numbers. The whole world's at your fingertips via the internet. I do most of my shopping on-line (other than food - that's Ros's dept!), read books via my Kindle, bank, pay bills, check maps, store photos - haven't looked at a photo album for decades - and where would I store over 7000 photos? Using all Apple products, my computer, phone, laptop are all synchronised so whatever is on one of them is on all.
Computers and the internet have been a large part of my life since they were first invented - I'm totally at home with them and just couldn't imagine life as we know it now without them. Just look at what happens in the world when a major system goes down - so it does expose us to vulnerability. I am also extremely apprehensive about AI - and fear for it's potential misuse by malevolent individuals or states.
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We are all so used to it now that it would be difficult. I do use it quite a bit for learning things, remember the bookshelf of encyclopaedias that our parents saved up for to help us with our homework? I have a bookcase of recipe books but rather than search through them all for a recipe that I need, where do I go, yes the internet. However, I also find that it can be a bit of a time waster, I think that I’d have a much more productive day without it.
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No, everything is really done in real time now and almost in, if not an instant then in a few minutes.
Imagine booking a (club) site without it?
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Just in case anyone is wondering why I asked the question, it was because of a post in the Overseas Section asking about using the internet whilst abroad. All internet has changed massively in the last 20 years from the point where it was a nice to have to a point where it would be alien to be without it. Like many others, I am sure, my life would be totally inconvenienced without the internet. What can be done now in a matter of seconds could take days to organise without the internet. I feel its almosr crept up on us, what seemed normal back then then would seem strange today.
David
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At home I use internet constantly - especially for banking, investments, supermarket deliveries, and all sorts of on line purchases. But overseas none of those four are needed so in that situation it’s just for messaging to make contact with family. But a wonderful invention, isn’t it..
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Imagine booking a (club) site without it?
@Cornersteady I am sure there are some members who are not connected to the internet yet are able to book a pitch on a club site by using the Site Directory, or similar publications, and a telephone. That's the way we occasionally book both CLs and THSs.
I doubt that I could now return to a life without the internet, but am sure that if it was completely closed down in would be able to manage.
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I agree with @nelliethehooker, of course you could live without it but, it would be extremely inconvenient in this day and age. If I did not have internet access at home, I am hard pressed to think of what could not be managed, however inconvenient it may be. I think the youngsters would struggle more than the oldies who after all have spent half a lifetime without it.
peedee
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I think @peedee have hit the nail on the on the head with extremely inconvenient and actually 'extremely' doesn't begin to cover it.
@nelliethehooker While there are some members who book club sites without the internet, and I think it's a very small number now compared to all the membership, if everyone of us had to ring in to head office or to the sites themselves (and it's proving very difficult in my experience get through to some sites) I don't think it could be done, and what about payment and confirmation? In the post?
This thread got me thinking about all the things I've done on the internet: bought (very big) things, researched things, had things delivered, planned, looked up, sent things, posted things, configured things to be bought, banking and savings, tax, pensions, shopping, passports, … I mean the list goes on and on. It would certainly mean having to get of out of the house more. I know people who buy new cars online and have them delivered, I like visiting showrooms but do all my homeworks online.
What's your list?
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I could live easily without the internet…….but I wouldn’t want to. I don’t think back to the times without as something bad, frightening, etc….. because you simply got on with living, doing, problem solving in different ways. Practical life is just so much easier nowadays, and it’s fabulous keeping in easy touch with friends and family scattered around not only the UK but Worldwide. I have always hated the fill a trolley, empty trolley onto conveyor, then put back into the trolley again thing, so love online deliveries. I like being able to see inside cottages before we book, check out hotel rooms and menus, buy rail tickets from home, so easy peasy and far less chance of any issues. Downsides……social media, some of it is very nasty, brings mental health issues for far too many, rapacious streaming channels charging the earth to watch things that should be a much smaller price or even free. Online gambling, so nasty.
The internet life trick is to cherry pick the really good parts, make them work for you, and don’t get drawn into the bad parts. We don’t touch Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc….. Just have a small private family based WhatsApp group, plus a few one to one groups. Love some of the fitness tracker Apps, but not to excess, and use useful Apps for outdoors such as OS maps, Searchforsites, etc… I like internet banking as well.
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Don’t know if things have improved yet, but spare a thought for parts of Cornwall who haven’t even got working phones after the last big storms. Having something which has become a life staple suddenly unavailable has caused all sorts of issues, but communities have come together to help each other. Article in Guardian about little Goldsithney, near to old Marazion Club Site was interesting, no power, trees down over roads, lovely little village badly damaged.
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I was looking for a replacement door seal for the fridge in my caravan the other day. Trouble is, the fridge is 16 years old and is no longer produced and Dometic no longer have spares for it in stock. I don’t know how I could have found a source that actually had one without the help of the internet. I guess I would have had to buy a completely new fridge just for the sake of a door seal.
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Can I just say that Facebook is very good, lots of interesting stuff you never knew and loads of groups you can post in and learn from. - e.g your local area, caravanning, etc etc etc. The only limitation is your imagination, Marketplace - the selling part - is also interesting.
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As a business (Dairy Farm) we use the Internet in a myriad of ways. We have a very reliable supplier (B4RN) and have never been without a connection for more than a few hours. From this we have a wide ranging WiFi network that makes everything run smoothly and it’s that “bit” we would miss.
Outwith business use I could cope - and when we’re away we don’t miss it. But I love the ease of access to anything and everything out there. I love the weird rabbit holes a few clicks take me.
And we’ve still got a set of encyclopaedia my husbands family bought many years ago. But I won’t be running upstairs to look up “who was that actor?” when watching something on television. I’ll just pick up my phone.1 -
Technology has advanced at a breathtaking pace during my lifetime, and I remember when 'golf ball' typewriters were cutting edge.
Like others, I use it for internet banking etc, but prefer to shop in shops where I can interact with people, and see what I'm buying.
I think I could live without the internet, but only because I know how to. As time progresses, generations will become more dependent on it and that isn't necessarily a good thing. I know teenagers who text each other whilst in the same room!
A recent example of what I mean happended this week when chasing a delivery. The person I spoke to told me that she had emailed the transport dept before Christmas, and was at a loss as to why they hadn't contacted me. When I suggested that she go and speak to them, I was met with bewilderment.
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