# Would would happen if the Internet ceased to exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037 "2003-06-15T16:40:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [June 16, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/21 "2003-06-16T16:02:40Z")
Threads would never get posted in the wrong forum again. ---
**Author:** ![outcast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/82dd89/32.png) [@outcast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outcast)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/22 "2003-06-16T18:34:26Z")
I wont be able to post this first thread ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/23 "2003-06-16T18:56:46Z")
I’d crawl into a corner and die. Seriously, the internet has made things _so convenient_ for me, I don’t think I could ever go back. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/24 "2003-06-16T18:58:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by outcast \* > \*\*I wont be able to post this first thread \*\* Nobody would be able to say “Apostophes are our friends. . .” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/25 "2003-06-16T19:00:00Z")
> [@](#): > > All this kind of electronic communication existed before the internet. I worked at companies that had such communications between offices, using IBM’s SNA communications protocol. Fairly common among larger companies. Like I said, if we had warning, we could revert to such systems. But with the Internet being as cheap and easy as it is, I imagine that few businesses still have such systems up and running. Is the infrastructure even still there? ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/26 "2003-06-16T19:03:30Z")
I’d crawl into a corner and die. Seriously, the internet has made things _so convenient_ for me, I don’t think I could ever go back. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/27 "2003-06-16T19:05:15Z")
I’m still stuck on the how one would make the Internet disappear overnight, short of magic. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/28 "2003-06-16T20:02:50Z")
For me, my job would immediately get 100% harder. (It’s so SO much easier to look up answers on Google than ref. books.) I’d also have to devise a new way to look busy at work, between the questions. I’d have to hire a local seamstress. (Most of my clothes are made by some dear sweet fat ladies in California and Miami.) I’d have to special order bras again. I’d have to actually shop in the mall or Wal-mart. Please people! This is a nightmare! ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/29 "2003-06-16T20:17:27Z")
There would be little noticable difference in the time it takes to load a thread on SDMB. 😃 Bob ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/30 "2003-06-16T20:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crown Prince of Irony \* > \*\*Nobody would be able to say “Apostophes are our friends. . .” 😃 \*\* …and no one would ever know about your dodgy ‘R’ key… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/31 "2003-06-16T21:39:14Z")
The SDMB would be maybe 10 percent slower. ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/32 "2003-06-16T22:21:07Z")
What would happen if t ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/33 "2003-06-17T00:13:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KellyM \* > \*\*I’m still stuck on the how one would make the Internet disappear overnight, short of magic. \*\* blowing up the major dns servers. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/34 "2003-06-17T00:24:03Z")
**netscape 6** , that’s remarkably hard to do and not that hard to recover from. Besides, it wouldn’t prevent the operation of the Internet; you can always get to the resources you need by IP address. Remember, boys and girls: the Internet != the World Wide Web. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/35 "2003-06-17T00:42:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KellyM \* > \*\*I’m still stuck on the how one would make the Internet disappear overnight, short of magic. \*\* To extend that thought a little bit, **Kelly** , if the internet were to go **poof** for some unimagineable reason. we’d invent it again soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/36 "2003-06-17T01:00:51Z")
Off to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![BlueMit11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@BlueMit11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMit11)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/37 "2003-06-17T01:02:20Z")
No one mentioned anything about Dancing Bush or Donkey Punch Britney Spears or Throw Creamed Corn at Bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037/38 "2003-06-17T02:26:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > **I’m not sure of the exact extent, but military and intelligence operations probably rely heavily on the Internet.** Actually, way back when, before the web even, the military nodes were split from the internet, and formed their own network, [milnet](http://www.cknow.com/ckinfo/acro_m/milnet_1.shtml). This was done for security reasons and because the internet was “getting too crowded” (Ha!). DD [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-would-happen-if-the-internet-ceased-to-exist/182037.md?page=1)