how has the internet impacted your life.

[jenn]

i once read a short story (jump in if you know the name and author) about a guy who lives in a society where you would have no need to leave your home. work, socializing, bills, etc all done from your home. he decides to go out, just for a walk and is arrested for suspicious behaviour.
so with that in mind, how has the internet affected your life, and do you see this future, where going outside is viewed as suspect?
the past year has really been my baptism into the internet world. my husband is an IT professional, however our computer was sort of out of the way and now it is in our kitchen. i use it constantly now, yet for very limited means, email, forum, recipes, messenger, the odd fact that needs verifying for trivial pursuit, whereas my husbands job revolves around it, he went to school on line, he would literally experiance withdrawal without it. power outages are very stressfull for him, not due to frozen pipes, but lack of internet.
i remember a time without internet(wow that sounds like a grandpa, i used to walk 12 miles in the snow, type comment) but my sons will never know what is like to not be connected.

 

[cajunmama]

As I have mentioned before in other threads, I live way out almost in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town is a very small town. I also work at home. I am also, not a "local", my husband grew up here, so everyone knows him. I primarily use the net for entertainment, shopping, information, and yes, socialization. I do have some friends, but I love to read and I love to make quilts. Not many people around here do either. So, thanks to the various online fora I am a member of, I have gotten support and feedback from my online friends regarding my various endeavors. I have even met two of my online friends in person. My next door neighbor (who also happens to be my mother-in-law) , reads too, but she sticks to Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz type stuff. So I can only talk books to her on a limited basis. It is nice to talk to someone over the age of two, even in this written way. Without the internet, my life wouldn't change all that much, but I know I would be lonlier.
As far as the future you read about, I doubt it could happen, there are too many people that love to spend time outdoors, ie, athletes, birdwatchers, gardeners, hikers...

 

[Halo]

I only started using the Internet about 7 years ago, but I do enjoy it. When my computer has been broken I have actually had withdrawal symptoms (and I don't even use it that much!). I do enjoy coming to this forum, and have made some great friends here, even though we've never met. I also love shopping online, because I live in quite a small town and the shops are useless. You can get great bargains online too. Trouble is, online shopping is just too easy!

That short story sounds really good; I hope someone knows it, but like Cajunmama said, I don't think it would happen. I think a scenario like in Dark Angel, when computers etc get knocked out and everyone is left in the s*** is more likely to happen. I certainly think we are placing too much reliance on computers - if anything like that did happen we would be utterly lost.

 

[jenn]

i agree with how much we rely on comps. i wish i could remember the name of the story, i think i remeber something about them living in bachelor type apts too, i must have read it in high school.
anyway. i often wonder what would happen if the internet collapsed. i love the joke of the IT guy talking someone through a computer problem over the phone and the IT guy going oh my god what did you just do, you deleted the internet!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RitalinKid]

I love the internet. I love it too much. Here are the numerous reasons I love it, and why that also makes it suck.

I'm an information junkie, so the interet gives me exactly what I want: tons of information at my fingertips. Why does that suck? I then end up reading and searching the night away. I accomplish nothing. The house is a wreck, bills didn't get paid, etc.

I love internet shopping. The best deals are no doubt on the internet. Someone is always starting a business or doing some sort of promotional deal. For instance, I just got Sirius satellite radio before Christmas because they were giving away the hardware! This sucks because then I'm on the internet for two hours a day for two weeks looking for THE best deal and trying to learn EVERYTHING about what I'm buying.

I love to socialize with people who like to talk about current events, issues and books. I don't know if you've noticed, but when you live in a small town like I do, those people don't exactly jump out of the woodwork. I get online to meet people and to share ideas. Then, like right now, I end up typing the day away. I should be asleep, so I can go workout later!

So, I love the internet, but DAMN it takes a lot of my time. It's almost like an addiction. My girlfriend has told me I need to put some rules on myself as to how much time I spend online and what that time is used for. She's an over-achieving med school student though. I don't have time for discipline!

 

[honeydevil]

hmmm... the net makes me happy, even when you are thousands of miles away from home,you still can "talk " to your loved ones!! i think thats the thing i love the most!! and you can talk to total strangers, you will never meet, but after a while you just learn to know them, and you can say what you think, you don't have to be careful to be polite or nice, you don't have to make the person feel better on the other computer, you just be yourself!!

 

[RitalinKid]

... and you can talk to total strangers, you will never meet, but after a while you just learn to know them, and you can say what you think, you don't have to be careful to be polite or nice, you don't have to make the person feel better on the other computer, you just be yourself!!

Great point. You can get to know people you will never meet and would never have known otherwise. The world's getting smaller all the time.

Off the main topic, but on the subject of the world getting smaller, recently I've realized I have two degrees of separation from Viktor Yuschenko and Jared Diamond. Small world. The internet will definitely help reduce xenophobia.

Look at that! I got back on subject by the end of the post!