# I'm surfing by candle light **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466 "2002-10-02T00:26:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466/1 "2002-10-02T00:26:16Z")
This fells so weird. The lamp in my home office blew out today, and I don’t have any other bulbs around the house. So I’ve lit a candle to have some light in here while I work in the 'puter. This must be how they used to surf in the olden days. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466/2 "2002-10-02T00:31:00Z")
Ha! You were reading my mind. I decided to pull out a candle last night and read. Abraham Lincoln didn’t have it so bad – it was easy. Then I thought “I wonder how much electricity I’m saving”. After all, a candle puts out about as much light as a tiny light bulb. Then I thought: “Wait a minute, the candle wax was probably collected and processed by electricity. So even if I don’t pay the electricity, somebody did.” Any guesses as to whether burning a candle is cheaper than running a very low wattage lightbulb? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466/3 "2002-10-02T00:45:18Z")
Well, the power went out in my room except for the overhead lights, and I’m working off of a laptop, so I’m working off of battery power. Yay for batteries, otherwise I’d be bored shitless with less than a full day until I visit for a long weekend. [my fall break starts tomorrow in the middle of the day and I’m going home.] ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466/4 "2002-10-02T02:05:20Z")
The UnaServer, my router, firewall, and DSL modem are all on a big-assed UPS, and I’m on a laptop. Via testing, I’ve found I could surf for at least 100 minutes by candlelight _with the UnaServer still running_. If I turned the server off, I could likely go for half a day. :eek: 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![FunGuy\_from\_Yuggoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FunGuy\_from\_Yuggoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FunGuy_from_Yuggoth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466/5 "2002-10-02T03:59:55Z")
Just a quick word from first-hand experience: Never, never surf by candle-light if you’ve been drinking. At least, not if you value your home! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-surfing-by-candle-light/130466/6 "2002-10-02T04:23:43Z")
Sunday night the overhead light in the room where my computer is set up went out. Unfortunately, the room has a high ceiling and I recently twisted my knee, so I’m afraid to take a chance on climbing a ladder to change it. Since the desk lamp I used to have next to the computer has a broken base, I am currently working by the light of a lamp laying on its side on top of a box on my desk.