The Internet: The have's & The have-not's..

[Fozzer]

The Internet...
Those who have access to it... ;D...!
..and those who do not have access to it... ::)...!

It really gets up my nose when there is some important? information "out there" which we all need to know about, similar to the recent food scare.
"Read all about it on the Internet..", the broadcasters say.

All very well for the select few who have/can afford, a computer in their house, and pay for an Internet Server Provider to supply them with the information.
For all the millions of people why do not have such luxury they will be left in the dark... :'(...!

Most of my neighbours, (including my Sister), do not have a computer, cannot afford a conputer, and have no need for a computer, and I can remember the time, a few years ago, when although I had a computer for playing games on, I could not afford the additional, and continual, cost of being connected to the Internet.

So there must be millions people out there who are really annoyed, like my Sister and my neighbours, when they are asked to "Find the details on the Internet"... >:(...!

Why do these people ASSUME that EVERYONE AND HIS DOG is connected to the Internet... ...!

It makes me so angry, even though the sun is shining, and I have a lovely dinner on the go... ...!

What do you lot "out there" reckon...?

Paul...Saturday's moan... ... ...!

P.S. Otherwise, I'm a Happy Bunny... ...!

[Hagar]

Why do these people ASSUME that EVERYONE AND HIS DOG is connected to the Internet... ...!

It makes me so angry, even though the sun is shining, and I have a lovely dinner on the go... ...!

What do you lot "out there" reckon...?

My thoughts exactly, much in the same way that they assume everyone has one of those mobile phone contraptions. "They" don't seem able to comprehend that some people simply don't want these things even if they could easily afford them.

I assume that anything of importance is published in the local & national newspapers & featured on the TV news programmes, neither of which I bother with myself. But then, I'm just a miserable* old Grumpy.

PS. I'm not miserable at all, in fact quite the opposite, & probably happier than the majority of people these days. I reckon that on the whole I'm better off without these new-fangled gizmos. I sometimes regret forking out for that modem 6 years ago.

[ozzy72]

Alas organistations like the media nowadays seem to be run by f*ckwits for the benefit of other f*ckwits (please excuse the harsh language but this is something I'm a bit passionate about!).
Any REAL journalist now gets lashed out against by their countries government and loses their job. Any half-wit that sucks up to their political masters gets promoted beyond belief.
So yup there are people without the internet, some people don't want it or need it, but these numbskulls think that because they are on TV or radio that they can tell us how to run out lives

[Saitek]

Well most people have access to the internet. If you are too poor then there is the libary which provides it for free. Those that won't conform just have to suffer the losses! Sorry, but we all have to learn and if people don't want to - that's their hard cheese! But I don't think there is barely a single person in Britain that can't afford a computer at all. Stop drinking/smoking/drug taking/ expensive fast food eating/holidays abroad until you can afford one. It is a matter of choice and how you view a computer.
Paul I suggest you encourage your sister to get a computer (My Aunty has just got one the other week and she is learning the basics and rings us up for help ) and you could offer a paw or two over the phone or in any other way.
I think older people should be encouraged to get a computer and to take a step forward. Computers came out years ago and this is not a new thing. These people could be brilliant on forums and it would help to fill in the day for those that are bored.

[Hagar]

What's going on here? ??? Half this thread suddenly disappeared & some of my best literary efforts with it.

I can't be bothered to repeat all that so you will just have to use your imagination.

PS. Ozzy old chap. I hereby award you life membership of the Grumpy Club. Welcome aboard.

[Fozzer]

Well most people have access to the internet.....

I wouldn't mind betting that most people in Tower Hamlets in London, The Homeless, Pensioners in the United Kingdom, (including my Sister), people living in darkest Africa, Australia, South America, China, India, The Solomon Islands, etc, etc, don't have access to the bleedin' Internet.... ...!

We, "Affulent Ones", are the lucky(?) ones, but in the total population of the world, we are but the select few...!

The Biggest Slice out of my monthly telephone bill each month is taken up by Internet charges, (trust me!), which I can ill afford on my Pension.... ...!
The only reason I could afford a computer, is because I am lucky enough to be computer hardware/software literate, and can build up my own computer systems cheaply, very few people out there are able to do this... ...!


Paul.

P.S. I wouldn't mind betting that most of the young Internet users, their computer systems and Internet costs are paid for by their Parents... ...lucky them... ..!

...and what about all those people who haven't got a telephone connection, to start with.... ...?

[C]

The government here seem to have the same delusional problems with the internet as they do with public transport...

As we all know (or have been told) in the UK, we should all be able to get to work on public transport or sharing cars etc. Unfortunately they ignore the fact that some of us travel 35 miles each way to work, and if we did the journey on public transport it would take 3 hrs each way and cost about

[commoner]

I think older people should be encouraged to get a computer and to take a step forward. Computers came out years ago and this is not a new thing. These people could be brilliant on forums and it would help to fill in the day for those that are bored.

...Well I am an OLD(er) person Saitek and like you said I changed MY priorities to get a PC...I have never regretted it and the Internet and forums such as this plus my little web site are the best way I know to keep your mind alive and healthy as you get on in years. I also have MSN Messenger and daily keep in touch with my family in Zurich, Montreal and London via my webcam..wonderful to see my grandkids growing up..something I would have otherwise missed...I have an "always on" fast internet connection for less than the price of a couple of beers and a packet of fags..so even a drinking and smokin' guy could surely drop that much from their daily dose

[C]

P.S. I wouldn't mind betting that most of the young Internet users, their computer systems and Internet costs are paid for by their Parents... ...lucky them... ..!

Probably right there Foz! Thankfully I left that bracket several years ago... Now I pay

[Hagar]

Well most people have access to the internet. If you are too poor then there is the libary which provides it for free. Those that won't conform just have to suffer the losses!

Ben. I've used the free library computers in the past when my PC went kaput. I found this very handy but it was also very difficult to get one. My local library has about 40 computers & until recently these were constantly occupied either with bored children on school holidays or people with nothing better to do. Meanwhile, those old people you speak of were out there enjoying life with their friends. They actually know how to do that. Two elderly gents often visit my local cafe & liven the whole place up with their sense of fun. The elder of the two is over 90 & still plays bowls regularly with his friends. They never had a computer or mobile phone & never wanted them. This is what life is like without all these modern contraptions & what it used to be like before they were invented.

PS. My friend told me only the other day that the library now charges about

[Saitek]

Well I apprecite some of the views shared, but for the majority of people in Britain, the majority, it is available and affordable. I know many old people that have them in their late 70's and older and as commoner also said it is a question of priorities. Save up at Christmas,New year, birthday, whatever. As for those that have no telephone connection Paul - well I'm speechless! Please I am talking about the 21st century! If people deliberately choose to be old fashioned and refuse to budge then they only have themselves to blame IMHO. It is rather a pity when people refuse to learn and move just because when they were younger it wasn't there.
Och well - every man to his own.

[Fozzer]

I can remember a time long, long, ago, when I used to enjoy visiting people, have interesting conversations, mow my lawn, hoover my house, go for walks in the countryside, etc, etc, before the Internet appeared.
Now it cost me mega-bucks every month, sitting on my chair 18 hours a day, to use my telephone system to use the Internet, accessing information, most of which I have in my collection of books at home, and most of which I don't flippin'-well need*..... ...!

Priorities, priorities... ...?

Cheers all... ..!

Paul.

P.S. *Most of which I'm gradually realising it's wasting my remaining  life... ... ...LOL...!
All I really need is a letter popped through my letter-box telling me that certain foods, (a list), containing poisonous Sudan1 which should not be eaten!

Simple, effective, and cheap for the majority of us... ...LOL...!

[Hagar]

Och well - every man to his own.

Right on the button Ben. This should be a matter of choice & not mandatory. Now take my brother for example. He is highly intelligent & earns enough to buy 20 high-end computers if he wished to do so. He knows how as he uses them every day at work. The plain fact is that he hates them passionately & would never dream of using one at home. Like many young people brought up with these things you seem unable to comprehend life without them. This IS possible, believe me & I'm starting to agree with my brother. Before I got this darned thing I would be out there enjoying myself with my friends right now, not sitting here typing this.

Now, which choice do you think is the more healthy?

[Woodlouse2002]

Go sailing. Suddenly all this computer and telephone nonsense seems far less important. Last summer I spent five weeks sailing in France. I never needed to use the internet at all and the only times I needed a phone was when people were trying to contact me.

Too much emphasis is placed on the importance of mobiles and computers these days. We managed with out them before.

[Hagar]

Having read Paul's latest reply I'm seriously thinking we might both pack this lark in as a bad job. I've met a lot of people & made a lot of friends in the 6 years I've been on the Net but it's about time I moved on before it's too late. I've actually tried to do this before but I'm ashamed to admit that this has become an obsession which makes it very difficult to give up. I've compared it to drug addiction although I've never experienced that. I think many of you having problems accessing this forum last weekend will have some idea of what I'm getting at

While making all these new friends, most of whom I shall never meet, I've lost touch with my real ones. The real friends that care about me & that I once cared about. Not everyone will become as obsessed as me but I'm afraid this seems the way things are going. If it goes on like this people will become ever more secluded & forget there's a real world out there how to enjoy it.