I used to think of the internet as nothing more than a frivolous big Borders Bookstore where I could flip through magazines for free and read stuff.
But lately, I realize I use the internet for a lot more.
At work, Google is a lifesaver for finding info.
I just refinanced my house on the internet and got a better rate than I would have gotten at my local bank (trust me, I asked) with far less complications.
I did a lot of Christmas shopping on the internet and got great gifts delivered, from international local shops, for friends all over the world.
I do online banking.
I get regular email from people who do not know how to dial phone numbers.
created a website and let friends in Germany see pictures minutes after they were taken.
whenever I need to find a recipe, the answer to how many people live in Bolivia, the symptoms and cures for aches and pains, and whatever…the first place I run is to the internet.
SDMB.
I guess the importance of the internet has all just kind of snuck up on me.
So my poll question is:
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being vital and 1 being who cares, exactly how important is having access to the internet in your life?
(other examples allowed.)
DMark - My business is reliant on my ability to access goods, services, and information and having access to a worldwide market is essential if I am going to succeed.
I have made several good friends over the years and these are people I never would have met under other circumstances. I don’t think they do not know how valuable their friendship has been.
I do my banking online and since I am an information junkie, the internet is invaluable.
I’d have to say it rates a 10.
Chaventh… I’m going to have to call the spelling police. That was atrocious.
-paying almost all of my bills online
-shopping for holidays and birthdays
-buying textbooks for cheap(er)
-email and instant messenger (considering I’m a college student and all of my friends are spread out over various area codes, this has saved me a bundle)
-becoming a hypochondriac… I mean, trying to find out what’s wrong with me by looking on webMd
-planning vacations and other trips and making hotel reservations and buying plane tickets
-buying movie tickets
-finding recipies (I was amazed at the number of recipies I found for cat treats)
-looking for jobs
-figuring out what classes to register for
-determining the correct usage of your and you’re
I’d say round about 9.5. With regards to finding precisely what I want, I doubt that there is another medium out there like the internet which can yield immediate results.
I also admit to doing a fair bit of online shopping, keep up with the news (and being able to select the news that you WANT to read which may not always be the case with news on TV), researching vacation destinations and hotels, playing games, movies, music…
I’d give it a 15 (call me a saddo, I don’t care!!)…
I met my bf online and, as we have a 3,000 mile distance between us, believe me the net comes in handy !!! We use messenger programmes and email all the time. Without it, all we’d have is the phone and I’d be very very scared what our bills would look like then.
I do all the other things people mentioned - work related research, financial business, shopping, entertainment etc. I know I haven’t probably found out 60% of its capabilities even…
I also have some friends I met online (in a group similar to this) and I can keep in touch with them here - not joking, but they’ve helped a million times more than my real life friends with a few issues.
So its very important and I don’t care who thinks so - those who call people pathetic who use the net so regularly are those who have never expereinced online communities for friends or who’ve never helped or been helped by people thousands of miles away.
i agree with harminox–if i’m home, my computer is at least always on, ready to go. i check my e-mail about a million times a day, i really enjoy message boards, i love im’ing with people…i think the internet is the greatest thing since sliced bread!
I’d say about a 8.5 right now. (It was a 10 last summer before my roomie and I got cable so we could have TV reception…)
I use it for: online shopping (especially for textbooks because of our ungodly-highly-priced campus bookstore), communication with friends and family in other states/countries, looking up obscure trivia for cites in my senior capstone journal, getting assignments for class, getting reading assignments for class, news, aaaaand… just plain fun It’s also how I develop/further ideas for lesson plans, and share them with other foreign language teachers.
I’ve gone without internet access for three/four months before, b/c I’m broke or moving or whatever, and while it totally sucked, I got over it. And actually got more done.
Having said that, I’m addicted to my email and various forums, like SDMB, and it’s one of the things I look forward to most when I get off work and come home to relax. Also makes researching a hell of a lot easier. And there are some stores that have special online stores/discounts/clearance, like Victoria’s Secret, and I’d hate to miss out on that.
But I can live without the Internet. Done it before and I’m sure I could do it again.
For shy people like me it makes talking about important issues much easier. I know its not the same as ‘real life’ conversations, but i can discuss issues that i find interesting or personally important much easier on the internet than i can with people face to face. I’ve always enjoyed issues like politics or wanted people i could discuss personal info with but had no one i wanted to/could discuss them with before the internet.
also
-excellent for mundane research
-anything you want to buy you can, alot of the time for 1/2 the price.
-you can get virtually any song you want
-It blows the hell out of nintendo
(call me a saddo, I don’t care!!)…