# What would you give up to keep access to the internet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099 "2016-02-25T16:04:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/1 "2016-02-25T16:04:31Z")
How much is connection to the internet worth to you? What things would you be willing to give up to maintain your connection to the internet? Poll coming ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/2 "2016-02-25T16:19:25Z")
Sort of depends on the situation we’re talking about. Is this a temporary internet loss that I’ll get back at some unspecified time anyway, or a permanent loss for the rest of my life? Will I have to give up these things for the length of time of which I’d get internet access? (like for like? If I wanted internet for the rest of my life I could never have these things for the rest of my life?) Can I just sort of flip back and forth, one day on, one month off? Do I have to actually divorce my husband or does sending him on a solo trip count? I can’t jive “sex for a year” with just “best friend” (is that no best friend, ever, for the rest of my life?) is this all in year increments or not? I can do a whole lot of internet in one day to satisfy needs for a month (downloads, baby!). In a scenario where I can flip my internet on and off by giving up things, sure, I’d give up everything listed for one day, to get one day of internet. Then I would do without the internet the rest of the month and take back everything else. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/3 "2016-02-25T16:40:47Z")
Clarifying - you have to give up these things to continue having the internet ever. To continue having access to the internet you must give up \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. In the case of coffee, chocolate, fast food, car, best friend, spouse, those give ups are permanent. Showering and sex, are just for one year. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/4 "2016-02-25T16:42:58Z")
I don’t eat chocolate, so that’s a freebie. Giving up fast food would be good for me, and giving up coffee might not be a bad idea either. Everything else, I’m keeping. As long as my wife has internet, she can do what needs to be done. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/5 "2016-02-25T16:43:41Z")
I was a good little poll taker and didn’t give up anything that I have no plans to do in my life anyway (voting, for example) so I chose “give up sex for a year”, because it’s only for a year and that was the lesser of two evils. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/6 "2016-02-25T16:54:09Z")
I don’t like coffee - the closest I come to that is Kahlua, and I could live without that just fine. Fast food - easily given up. Had you said “going out to eat” that would have been tougher. Chocolate - I lurves me some chocolate, but I would give it up to stay on line. I live in the boonies, so I need a car - not an option. Not voting? Not an option. Not showering? Not an option. In fact, everything else is not an option. There actually are some things I value more then Teh Intrarwebz. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/7 "2016-02-25T16:57:12Z")
Out of that list; coffee. I am only allowed that useless warm brown water called “decaf” so I would be happy to ditch that. Otherwise take my internet; it really isn’t all that important to me. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/8 "2016-02-25T16:59:39Z")
I guess I could always take a bath. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/9 "2016-02-25T17:05:45Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Clarifying - you have to give up these things to continue having the internet ever. > > To continue having access to the internet you must give up \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. > > In the case of coffee, chocolate, fast food, car, best friend, spouse, those give ups are permanent. Showering and sex, are just for one year. The sex for one year just stands out as a weird one for me because so many people do that by pure chance at some point in their life just by being between relationships. It would be a different thing entirely if you said no orgasms for one year, or something. Now THAT would be tough for many and considered a step up from showering in my opinion. In contrast, I can’t imagine a life where I am not allowed to have a best friend ever. That’s a huge gigantic leap up from no sex for a year. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/10 "2016-02-25T17:08:10Z")
I take it “Nothing” has to be represented by not voting? Because you’re missing out on the very real possibility that internet access is less important than almost anything out there. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/11 "2016-02-25T17:12:19Z")
My left nut. Good luck finding it. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/12 "2016-02-25T17:28:31Z")
The internet is the most important thing in my life. I spend all day reading forums and watching YouTube or Netflix. I’d give up anything to keep the internet. I’m a virgin and I don’t have a girlfriend so giving up sex isn’t a problem ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/13 "2016-02-25T18:39:16Z")
I’d give up cable tv if I could only afford that or internet. It’s a moot point since our cable is included with our apartment, but I’d love to give it up anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/14 "2016-02-25T21:38:30Z")
If I give up showering for a year, I think giving up sex for the duration will follow automatically before long. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/15 "2016-02-25T22:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Coffee > Chocolate > Fast food > My car > The right to vote > Showering for a year > Sex for a year > My best friend > My spouse… I see you’re attempting a sort of hierarchical progression from trivial to serious. In light of that, I see you’ve massively underrated the relative importance of coffee. I don’t have a car. Everthing above “car” on your line (yeah even coffee) I’d give up for internet. Nothing below it. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/16 "2016-02-25T22:31:42Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I see you’re attempting a sort of hierarchical progression from trivial to serious. In light of that, I see you’ve massively underrated the relative importance of coffee. > > I don’t have a car. Everthing above “car” on your line (yeah even coffee) I’d give up for internet. Nothing below it. I don’t have a “best friend” (other than my wife). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/17 "2016-02-25T22:34:50Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > How much is connection to the internet worth to you? What things would you be willing to give up to maintain your connection to the internet? I don’t have a spouse. I don’t drink coffee. I don’t shower; I bathe I’ve never had sex, and am unlikely to. That’s four I can tick straight off without actually losing anything. I could easily do without fast food, likewise chocolate. I live centrally so I could make do without a car. That’s seven. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/18 "2016-02-26T00:23:23Z")
I’d give up shoes rather than the internet. ---
**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:** [February 26, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/19 "2016-02-26T01:10:59Z")
I don’t have most of those things already, so I can’t be sneaky and pick something I don’t do anyway: “I give up murder for Lent” etc. I shall pick something genuinely sacrificial. I would give up cheese for a year. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099/20 "2016-02-26T01:15:34Z")
Fast food, but only because I don’t eat it in the first. Naught else–and that includes using archaisms like “naught.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-give-up-to-keep-access-to-the-internet/747099.md?page=2)