# Do the Harry Potter stories reference the "Muggle" internet at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2005, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902 "2005-11-20T08:47:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/1 "2005-11-20T08:47:17Z")
Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/2 "2005-11-20T09:30:45Z")
Not so far, no. The stories are told through Harry’s viewpoint for the most part, and he spends most of the time we see him at Hogwarts and other parts of the wizarding world, where computers aren’t used. When he’s in the Muggle world, at Privet Drive, he doesn’t have access to a computer. JK Rowling has said in interviews that wizards have some sort of magical equivalent of the internet, but it hasn’t shown up in the books so far. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/3 "2005-11-20T09:32:13Z")
Those poor wizards could sure benefit from some of our Muggle technology. Who wants to wait forever to get your mail by owl when you can use e-mail? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/4 "2005-11-20T11:18:03Z")
The books are set during the 90s, the first book set in 1991, the year that Jo Rowling first came up with the idea for the series. The internet didn’t really rise to prominence in our pop culture until around 1995 or so, which is about the time of Book 4. As Harry’s spent most of the 90s in the Wizarding World, the internet really doesn’t have much of an opportunity to appear. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/5 "2005-11-20T11:24:39Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Who wants to wait forever to get your mail by owl when you can use e-mail? You mean you’ve never heard of A-Owl? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/6 "2005-11-20T19:19:45Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > You mean you’ve never heard of A-Owl? That would explain a lot, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/7 "2005-11-20T19:24:41Z")
To add to the previous answers, wizards don’t really care about Muggle stuff - who can blame them, if they’ve got magic? For example, one of the major characters (Ron) has no idea how to use a “fellytone”, as he calls it. There’s some point when characters also talk about the amazing ways muggles get by without magic. It’s unlikely to come up, because while a lot of the characters are born to muggle parents, they have magic for that stuff! The interaction between the magic and muggle commmunities is pretty much nil. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/8 "2005-11-21T21:46:18Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > …wizards don’t really care about Muggle stuff - who can blame them, if they’ve got magic? Doesn’t stop Mr Weasley from ‘experimenting’ though! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/9 "2005-11-21T22:05:06Z")
Eh, I still say that if you could pin Voldemort down and drop a nuke on him, he’s toast, no matter how ineffective witch-burning was in the Middle Ages. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/10 "2005-11-21T22:23:40Z")
He could just transfigure the nuke into something harmless, though. Or apparate away from the explosion. Besides(Book Six spoilers): His horcruxes will ensure that he won’t be killed, just turned back into Vapourmort. ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/11 "2005-11-21T22:33:10Z")
Early on in Book 6, with the scenes involving the Muggle Prime Minister, I started envisioning an alliance between Muggles and Wizards. Sure, wizards could hex and bedazzle technology but only if they understood it. Imagine the SAS hunting Voldey by coordinating their actions via wireless communication. He’d be confused at how Muggles keep one step ahead of him. But after that thought, I realized that was what happened in the Darksword Trilogy, turning a cool Fantasy concept into a lameass hybrid tale. So, Ms. Rowling, if you are reading, don’t sweat the technology. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/12 "2005-11-21T22:47:48Z")
Yeah, and she can write it like a Tom Clancy novel. Just imagine the possibilities… ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/13 "2005-11-21T23:21:27Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > JK Rowling has said in interviews that wizards have some sort of magical equivalent of the internet, but it hasn’t shown up in the books so far. Yep, they have – the Floo Network, which gives new meaning to talking heads 😃 Far more personal than email, that, though without the inconvenience of actually travelling places, or opening your fireplace up to strange people. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/14 "2005-11-21T23:22:37Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > The books are set during the 90s, the first book set in 1991, the year that Jo Rowling first came up with the idea for the series. You know, I’ve heard this timeline bandied about a couple of times. How did you arrive at the 1991 date? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/15 "2005-11-21T23:25:35Z")
> [@Airblairxxx](#): > > You know, I’ve heard this timeline bandied about a couple of times. How did you arrive at the 1991 date? Harry’s birthday is 31st July 1980. He started going to Hogwarts when he was 11. Currently, he’d be 25. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/16 "2005-11-21T23:35:27Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Harry’s birthday is 31st July 1980. He started going to Hogwarts when he was 11. Currently, he’d be 25. Pardon my obtuseness, but when was the 1980 date mentioned? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/17 "2005-11-22T00:33:54Z")
> [@Airblairxxx](#): > > Pardon my obtuseness, but when was the 1980 date mentioned? In CoS, Nearly Headless Nick celebrates his 500th deathday. The cake at his deathday party read: \*Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington died 31st October, 1492 \*. So everything has been calculated relative to that. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/18 "2005-11-22T02:33:02Z")
Computer games have been mentioned. When Dudley Dursley was put on a diet, he got so angry at his parents that Harry told Ron about how Dudly threw his computer game player out the window. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/19 "2005-11-22T02:45:43Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Computer games have been mentioned. When Dudley Dursley was put on a diet, he got so angry at his parents that Harry told Ron about how Dudly threw his computer game player out the window. A Playstation, actually, which is an anachronism if you accept the timeline based on Nick’s deathday, because Dudley would have been hard-pressed to find a Playstation 6 months before it launched. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902/20 "2005-11-22T02:58:36Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > A Playstation, actually, which is an anachronism if you accept the timeline based on Nick’s deathday, because Dudley would have been hard-pressed to find a Playstation 6 months before it launched. And would that be the Japanese launch, the American launch, or the European launch? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-harry-potter-stories-reference-the-muggle-internet-at-all/331902.md?page=2)