Giving up broadband?

The guy in this report

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4242751.stm

feels he will have more time for 'normal' activities, as a result of downgrading to dial-up.

In some ways he has a point - any thoughts?

I reakon he was download to much *not good stuff*. No one can survive the hell that is 56k after broadband

[Millay]

Oh my god, that must be like having an amputation.... is there any point in living tehe

[danielf]

Originally Posted by bbc

Sit down to work. Ten minutes in, the new mail icon tempts me from the bottom of the screen. I'll just check. Nothing like a few juicy new e-mails. Click a few links. Scan a few websites. Oh 20 minutes has just passed. Better get back to work. Now where was I? Start work again. Feel like a reward. I'll just check news.bbc.co.uk. See if anything's happened in the three minutes since I last looked. Follow a few 'related links'...

Half an hour has passed. I feel like I've done something, but actually I haven't. All that's happened is that I've been distracted by constantly rising info urges. I spend most of my day like this, divided between what I need to do and what the internet wants me to do - which is look at it. Constantly.

That is so true...

[Gareth]

Having had a decent connection for 10 years now (starting with SuperJANET when a student), I can actually empathise with the author's sentiments.

It's true that, after a while, you do feel that you could be doing something else instead of sitting at the PC surfing (mostly) the same sites or playing (mostly) the same games.

It kinda reminds me of the old saying from when I was a kid... "Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set And Go Out And Do Something Less Boring Instead?"

[skyblueheroes]

Its very very true, but I couldn't give up BB now. More than anything else I use it for gameplaying online.

I'm sure that I'd find more time for other stuff though if I did cancel it.

[Halcyon]

You do certianly end up spending a lot of the time on the net.
I seem to and links just make you click from one thing to the next.
I also love it when there are new topics on forums so am always checking back for new posts.
Without broadband I guess I would be a lot less on my PC.

[Andrex]

Originally Posted by Damien

I reakon he was download to much *not good stuff*. No one can survive the hell that is 56k after broadband

I downgraded to dial up after using broadband for some time. It was a pain at first - I kept thinking "Ooooh, I'll just go and download that song". Closely followed by "Oh, bugger, that'll take an hour. I can't be arsed".

However, after about a week I got used to it. There's enough time to get a drink whilst dialup connections, and it's fine for general web browsing. I found myself watching more TV, and generally doing more constructive things with my time.

Other ways to increase productivity: block sites like Slashdot, BBC News etc.

Thanks people, some interesting views, there, what struck me was the idea that having a faster connection, actually meant spending more time online.

In light of the proposed speed increases it will be interesting to see whether the pattern of use of the net will change.

There is a lot of truth in what the author says, I can remember when I had dialup it was quite unusual for me to hit the 2 hour cut-off - now with broadband I often stay on for more than 2 hours.

[Halcyon]

I see it like this...A number of possible situations....

- Broadband gets the job done faster so less time spent waiting around so off the computer quicker.

- Broadband means more content available, more interesting, always on, so will want to stick around and stay longer to doscover more on the Internet.

- Dial up takes too long so will get people frustrated and they will not spend a long time on their Internet. They only spend small time as cant be bothered to wait.

- Dial up is slower so people spend more time and wait, thus waisting more time.

[Millay]

Originally Posted by Gareth

It kinda reminds me of the old saying from when I was a kid... "Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set And Go Out And Do Something Less Boring Instead?"

Thakns, gareth I know have the 'why dont you' theme tunie stuck in my head..

Originally Posted by homealone

There is a lot of truth in what the author says, I can remember when I had dialup it was quite unusual for me to hit the 2 hour cut-off - now with broadband I often stay on for more than 2 hours.

Are the days of two hour cut offs.. them where the days it was safe to leave your door open..

Seriously though the web is a very different place when you have broadband, and I wouldnt say I did anything more constructive. before broadband. nowadays I don't watch half as much tv so i think maybe im doing something better with my life (broadening my horizons or something like that...

Download patchs, music and so on is a pain without broadband

Originally Posted by Damien

Download patchs, music and so on is a pain without broadband

I rarely get music, but certainly appreciate the faster d/load when getting stuff like upgrades for Nero, etc.

I remember frantically trying to get a download to resume because it had gone over the two hour cut-off & only needed a couple of MB more

- so, personally, I will keep it - in fact with my son having moved out, my wife will now be able to share the connection & we can downgrade the dialup to PAYG, just to keep the e-mail addy.

The article did make me think about how long I spend on-line, though

[nostra]

cant imagine uploading all my webdesigns on to servers on dial up again

:o

no way

[Ramrod]

They can have my broadband when they prise it from my cold, dead fingers........