Phones, internet and all that nonesenseFollow

Going by a previous poll I posted, most posters here will remember a time when the only phones that most people had were landlines. Information was delivered by letter and by word of mouth.

We now live in a digital age where people can communicate in mere seconds to all sectors of the globe. This has lead to an explosion of glorious intellect being able to share knowledge in amongst the spam and scam.

Businesses thrive on Email, businesses are reduced without it. But why am I posting this? I was thinking, how would I now survive without my connection to the internet? What if the internet was cut off, it dissapeared. What if no one had it? I would be unemployed. My mobile phone would stop being my portable laptop. My laptop would become a very advanced word processor and I would be forced to call people on my landline (which would truly shock BT who have seen me make on average one call a year).

But without the internet, would I be happier? Would the lack of Email mean I would need to talk more. Would I need to engage more with those around me and be just that little less lazy. Would the slowing down of the world at large result in a more relaxed outlook on life from the manic leaping from one challenge to the next. I do wonder.

I have seen blackouts 2 times in 5 years. Times when all but the phones stopped working. 2 days when I was forced to live like my parents did, in the dark ages It was actually very nice, very calming. I seem to remember both days involved the pub, wine, talking and a hangover.

As I become ever more entwined into the connected world of the wireless revolution. As my phone becomes a secondary net connection. As I am literally on-line 24 hours a day and unable to escape the constant Email stream and connections from social and business sites, I wonder am I losing something in the rush? Bluetooth headsets looking ever more like attachments from Dr Whos Cybermen.

I'm sure some of you here will look down and start saying things like "in my day" and "you should feel lucky" but part of me wonders if we are racing too fast into a Borg like world. The worst part being, I am part of creating that world. Scary huh?

Gwyneth2701 of sector 90

Resistance is Futile!!!!

I embrace technology. I recognize that it has an effect on my life, and i'm sure without computers I would have found another hobby (probably trying to invent computers to be honest...) but I like to think that I am able to seperate from it enough that it is not a detrement.

For me, technology (keyboards in particular) is a necessity. I have a slight bith defect in both hands where the bone from the wrist to the base of my thumb is slightly too long. It basically means I have a very difficult time writeing with a pencil. My handwriting is pretty much illegable, not for lack of trying. I was using a typewriter to write book reports in 1st grade, and later that year, my first computer, A commodore 128. Without at least the typewriter, I probably would have had severe difficulties throughout school.

I find I can disconnect at the drop of a hat if I need to. I choose to remain connected most of the time, but if I need solitude, I leave the phones at home and head out into the unknown, blissfully unaware.

I think that the more we integrate technology into our societies, the better our quality of life will become, but at the same time, the more careful we need to be of abuse. Privacy laws need to be iron clad, inviolate, and with real teeth behind them. Our justice department in the US has gotten lazy. They didn't need warrentless wiretapping to make a case, they just took the easy route, at the cost of our moral high ground.

I dunno. I think we would be less happy as a planet without the internet. Besides, without the internet how would I annoy people in Europe???

I'm looking forward to Jophiel's response.

As I understand it, he posts here by telegram and fax, and plays Everquest by mail.

I have mixed feelings about this. I often think that we have become slaves to all this modern technology, that good old fashioned methods of communication are being lost, and that the "personal and affective" is being replaced by the "impersonal and effecient". Take mail. No one ever writes letters anymore. Every mail you receive these days is either bills or spam. It's a bit sad. The closer you are to "tech-centres", like big cities, the less you chit-chat. The less you interact. Other people are just incoveniences.

And then when you leave all this tech behind... fuck, you don't miss it at all. I don't, anyway. When I'm travelling, I don't miss WOW, or emails, or using my mobile, or TV, or this forum. Well, maybe this forum a little. But all the rest, bah. I never once thouht "Oh, I wish I could send this video email through my 3G IPhone to Fotolog so that my Flogger tribe can post comments on it".

So I don't know. I think it's good to relise the virtual world is, well, virtual. As long as you don't get too caught up in it, and realise that all the tech in the world won't fundamentally make you happy/better/effective, I guess it's ok.

***** all your work and communication needs. Think about the ****!

While I certainly enjoy technology, when I'm not around it I tend to get used to it after a day. And I dont really miss it all that much. Cell phones and other things are great for emergencies, the net is great to keep up to date with friends. But none of it is necessary.

When Ray and I first got married and moved away from my family and friends, I worte letters non stop because I was so homesick. A few of my cousins wrote back and we had a nice correspondence going on. Then one of my cousins was "elected" to inform me that email would be easier for everyone to stay in touch. So I started using email. And then afte awhile, another cousin was "elected" to inform me that MySpace would make it easier.

Now the running joke is everyone MySpaces or Facebooks each other, but yet we never see each other. And I'm back in San Diego.

Yes, most of my life has been spent without computers and/or internet.

You might, temporarily, feel sad, confused, bored, cut-off, uninformed etc, but you'd get over it. Something else would fill up your time and thoughts.

Unless of course you were the only one without internet and everyone else had it...so you became isolated from all peoples. I don't think that would lead to much happiness.

Well probably, but also you'd be likely to better prioritize the information that you felt you needed to get and give. Well now, my hubby and I discuss this all the time. He claims I ignore him when I play games. But, I counter I ignore him just as much if I'm reading a good book or watching a good movie. He ignores me no matter what he's doing.
Im not sure I follow you here. What does a world slowing down mean, as, obviously we can't stop time.

I don't see borginess as a futuristic threat as much as physical laziness - like the roly-poly people in Wall.E . That's not really much of different problem than the couch potatoe syndrome though and, I think, surmountable.

The internet is just another tool. It can be a tremendous resource or can be abused - like anything else.

The thing is, its here, there is no going back...only onward to bigger and better internetz!!