What would you do if the internet went down?

**Hellow** · 08-09-2009, 02:04 AM

Now, before we start getting into a war over the internet being impossible to take down, trust me, it can be taken down. The way the internet, in basic, finds itself is via the DNS. There are 17 root DNS servers, which are generally located in different servers. If those 17 root DNS servers went out, the internet would not be able to find itself, effectively crippling it. That is the most likely way the internet could go "down".

So, what would you do if the internet went down?

I would pull out my Sega. This could be a while.

If the situation that I spoke of above actually happened, I have all of the sites I have ever visited cached onto my local DNS server, so I would be good unless the major internet backbones went out too. Then we would be in trouble.

**chocolatepuppy** · 08-09-2009, 04:57 AM

Darn Reggie, I don't wanna think about that!

I would probably have to clean my house!

**Scooter's Mom** · 08-09-2009, 05:28 AM

Mine went out for 3 hours the other day... I couldn't get into PT or facebook or any of the other sites I visit. I was a wreck! I had to *gasp* watch TV!

Come to find out, my net wasn't even actually down. The kitties had unplugged my router. It was 2am, I was tired but had insomnia so yes it took me 3 hours to figure out what the problem was! LOL

Funny, huh? Bad kitties!

**Kirsten** · 08-09-2009, 06:34 AM

I would feel completely cut off from the rest of the world, kinda trapped, I think, and "amputated".
I would really hate it!

Kirsten

**Medusa** · 08-09-2009, 07:04 AM

I thought about this just yesterday because I purchased a set of programs that was shown on PBS years ago called "Upstairs Downstairs". People actually wrote letters then!

Occasionally they made phone calls but letters and the "Marconi gram" were the main modes of communication. The internet has its value, to be sure; we have the world of knowledge at our fingertips but I think that over time human relations would improve. People would be forced to actually start talking to one another again instead of texting and emailing and now, the epitome of laziness, "poking" as they do on Facebook. Insults wouldn't fly as easily as they do now because there wouldn't be the anonymity that the internet affords us, so we'd have to be more civil to one another. I would have to find another job but I'd live and probably be the happier for it.

**Kirsten** · 08-09-2009, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Medusa

I thought about this just yesterday because I purchased a set of programs that was shown on PBS years ago called "Upstairs Downstairs". People actually wrote letters then!

Occasionally they made phone calls but letters and the "Marconi gram" were the main modes of communication. The internet has its value, to be sure; we have the world of knowledge at our fingertips but I think that over time human relations would improve. People would be forced to actually start talking to one another again instead of texting and emailing and now, the epitome of laziness, "poking" as they do on Facebook. Insults wouldn't fly as easily as they do now because there wouldn't be the anonymity that the internet affords us, so we'd have to be more civil to one another. I would have to find another job but I'd live and probably be the happier for it.

Good point!!

I'm also thinking a lot about these things lately, actually I made a similar post a couple of minutes ago

. Sometimes I would think "Heck, what have I done in the 80s?!", but when I'm honest with myself, I lived a happier life back those days.

A couple of weeks ago when I started my Latin lessons, I wrote down some vocabulary in the notebook I got for that purpose, and after I had written one page, my hand and fingers started aching terribly because I'm no longer used to handwriting. Makes you wonder...

Kirsten

**Medusa** · 08-09-2009, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by Kirsten

Good point!!

I'm also thinking a lot about these things lately, actually I made a similar post a couple of minutes ago

. Sometimes I would think "Heck, what have I done in the 80s?!", but when I'm honest with myself, I lived a happier life back those days.

A couple of weeks ago when I started my Latin lessons, I wrote down some vocabulary in the notebook I got for that purpose, and after I had written one page, my hand and fingers started aching terribly because I'm no longer used to handwriting. Makes you wonder...

Kirsten

Exactly, Kirsten! (I posted in your thread, too, btw.) After watching that program, I've decided to invest in some good stationery and sealing wax and to start writing letters again. I LOVE getting letters and packages in the mail, so maybe I'll start a new/old trend!

**Kirsten** · 08-09-2009, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by Medusa

Exactly, Kirsten! (I posted in your thread, too, btw.) After watching that program, I've decided to invest in some good stationery and sealing wax and to start writing letters again. I LOVE getting letters and packages in the mail, so maybe I'll start a new/old trend!

Good idea!! It's always so much nicer to receive a letter instead of an email, or - even worse - a cell phone message!

Kirsten

**Medusa** · 08-09-2009, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by Kirsten

Good idea!! It's always so much nicer to receive a letter instead of an email, or - even worse - a cell phone message!

Kirsten

We agree again, Kirsten. I'll admit that when I turn on my cell phone in the morning, it's nice to hear that little beep telling me that I have a text from my son usually saying something such as "I miss my mom". I wouldn't trade that for anything. But when I receive an actual letter, I feel so special because I realize that this person took time out of his/her busy day to think of me and to tell me so in his/her handwriting. "Feeling special": that's the missing ingredient w/the internet.

**Kirsten** · 08-09-2009, 07:30 AM

I feel so special because I realize that this person took time out of his/her busy day to think of me and to tell me so in his/her handwriting. "Feeling special": that's the missing ingredient w/the internet.

So true!!!

Kirsten

**catnapper** · 08-09-2009, 07:46 AM

My personal internet went down last monday. Hubby and I were a-ok without it, but my family was frantic.

with the internet down, so was our house phone and internet (Comcast issues

) So hubby and I read, did paperwork, housework, TALKED.

However, if the internet goes down at work? We're crippled. We can't check inventory, can't access customer files. Can't write up sales. Our entire computer system is internet based. It goes down from time to time, and in the 20 minnutes its down, we're frustrated and annoyed. It always seems to go down at the exact moment a customer is demanding information.

**Sirrahsim** · 08-09-2009, 08:27 AM

With my husband away, this is my link to the outside world! I would quickly go stir crazy!!

**Laura's Babies** · 08-09-2009, 08:39 AM

I would probably do what I did before the internet.. Watch TV, sew (been needing to get back to sewing), clean my house more and probably drive my cats crazy trying to play with them and would get out of the house a lot more.

**ChrisH** · 08-09-2009, 09:17 AM

I would be lost, it's simple as that.

Communication, news, information, shopping, gone. True, all of those things can be done/found without the internet but not as fully or as quickly.

Letter writing and receiving is good and certainly should not be thought of as redundant, but I think e-mail has a unique value all of it's own, speed being the nucleus. As for the value of the other means of communication just take Pet Talk itself as an example. How much poorer we would be without the support, the sharing, the people from all over the world who have become friends ... need I go on?

News and information I could get in other ways for sure but again speed is at the core. Just think how easy it is to find what you need or want to know, would you really want to go back to waiting for the daily newspaper to find out what is going on in your community or in the world? Or go back to physically searching through the libraries and other such places for that piece, maybe a small piece, of the information you need?

Shopping, well, yes, for some actually going into shops to find what they want can be a pleasure. Not me. I like grocery, clothes, book, cd, dvd, pet supplies, you-name-it shopping online. No queues, no crowds, no carrying. Joy. And if the wrong/faulty/unwanted item(s) are delivered? Well, that's where the good old e-mail becomes so useful.

I don't use Facebook and the like - however I do use Twitter but that can be tailored to how you want it, for example I rarely Tweet but find some other peoples can be very interesting, but having said that, it is one thing I wouldn't miss it if it were gone.

All in all I find the internet to be a very useful tool and, as I wrote in the beginning of my post and will repeat, I for one would be lost without it.