[zekeisaszekedoes]

Originally Posted by Masque

I have a Nokia N8 which gives me access to the internet in the event my home connection fails or I am out and about, so get a smart phone with broadband and you are sorted.

Not necessarily. I'm in an area where I can get 100Mb from VM, my 30Mb service is fantastic yet almost all mobile phone operators have terrible 3G broadband speeds. I'm sure there are areas where cable broadband, POTS-style broadband and mobile broadband are all atrocious... more likely up north in the infamous blackout spots, often the more rural areas where the perceived lack of profit has delayed a proper fiber-optic rollout and most people are too far from the exchange to get a good service on copper phone lines if the service even exists.

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

My life, while at home, is primarily focused on my computer(s) and secondarily the internet. Sure I can deal without either, but if I lacked either at home I might as well be asleep or out - since there's sod all else I can do here.

Hence, in line with the epic geek I am, I have five computers, four internet connections and six smartphones just so I can stay connected come anything short of a nuke. (P.S. Anyone fancy buying an old computer, phone or three?)

Heh... all those computers and no server, eh? I would have figured a tech guy like yourself would have a NAS or something similar. I'm well prepped in case of an internet blackout: can use neighbours wireless connection at a pinch (10Mb) and if that goes I have 4TB+ of stuff ripped from my DVD collection and available to stream by various devices in the house. Barring an electrical blackout, I'm all set for entertainment, and even if the electric does go out a candle paired with a good book is a pretty nice "last resort".

Originally Posted by Masque

Exactly it is a backup nothing more but it is available almost anywhere unlike your computer.

Um... pretty sure a laptop or tablet device is "available almost anywhere", especially since WiFi hotspots are becoming more popular and using a 3G phone as a portable hotspot that you or your friends portable computers can connect to is another option just starting to be utilised.

Originally Posted by AndyCalling

This is my online persona as well, remember. You need to look at my comments in that context as well. Also, I think you'll find my 'analysis' (though 'perspective' may be more apt here) quite basic considering the hugely rapid expansion and ubiquitous nature of the digital world in our society now. Even the government, almost always behind the curve on these things, now considers internet connectivity to be a basic household utility in the same league as water and heating. Indeed, the internet is economically essential for so many things these days that it often is a vital part of funding for the rest of the household bills. If anything I am under-playing the issue. I could go much (much) further.

Great topic for debate... the ubiquity of technology so quickly, it's wonderful and alarming at the same time. I think it gets too far when I see people walking down the street glued to their smartphones, can't bear to be out the loop for more than five seconds. Yesterday when I was outside having a smoke, some guy on a moped actually pulled over and started tweeting on his smartphone, then sped off quickly as soon as he was done. Really? I couldn't quite believe it at first: delaying a goddamn journey for something that pointless.

I love tech, have a bunch of it, but going outside is often a good opportunity to ignore all of it. What's the point of going down to the pub which is expensive as it is then having a bunch of friends all sitting around a table literally twiddling their thumbs staring at smartphones, something they could do at home or while waiting for the bus etc? I've been between mobile phone contracts for over a month now, and other than the obvious inconvenience of having to use a payphone or borrow someone elses the freedom and lack of worry of not having one with no apps constantly demanding attention is wonderful.

On another note, isn't it ridiculous the amount of pointless crap smartphones are being crammed with? LG's 3D screen, 3D camera, dual-core beast I saw advertised while watching the England vs Wales match the other night is a prime example. All that chintzy pointlessness, for a power-hungry phone which probably needs to be charged three times a day and gives you an hours talk time at best. I'd rather have fewer features and five days standby (after all how "mobile" can you be if you need to be near a charging point all the time", but I guess I'm in the minority.

Originally Posted by Hugh

"the inherent post-modern spirit of the virtual world shows all such perspectives to be obvious simulacra"......

Really?

Are you the Jacques Derrida of the Internet, deconstructing Broadband connectivity?

Assuming you missed the joke, he was doing it to prove a point. I very much doubt he actually thinks like that though obviously I could be wrong.

And what's wrong with flashing your intellect now and then, anyway? One of my favourite uses for the internet - besides Rule Thirty-Four of course - is learning, and sharing thoughts and philosophies with intelligent people. To me, one hour of that stuff is worth one hundred or more pointlessly spanked away on Facebook doing the various stupid meaningless stuff that has become a hallmark of social networking.

Originally Posted by Hugh

My views are so "old-fashioned" that I am on the European CIO Board of a well-known search engine company, am a "Trusted Tester" for a well-known search engine company, and have spoken (at conferences and round-table seminars) on Business and Consumer adoption (the reasons for and impediments to) of "The Cloud" in four European countries, and am an active member of the BillSoft "Future of Technology in Education" group.

Ah, I see. Can't win with debate so time to flash the credentials. I don't doubt them, it's just that you shouldn't need to flout them to try and win a debate. There are plenty of highly-qualified people out there in prime positions who are just as common-sense bereft as any man on the street... I believe we call them "government".

By the way, out-pseuding? That's about as foolish and banal a term as "gamechanger", "taking it to the next level" and the word paradigm. Those things, they're like the "super", "mega" and "awesome to the max" of the 1980s and datestamp the era. Seriously, in 20 years people who use/have used those buzzwords are going to look as quaint as the original Miami Vice and Magnum P.I. do now, though like both of those probably not without a bit of retro charm attached.