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Weekend Assignment #107: Tech You'd Miss
So, for the last day or so, my house has been without phone and Internet, because some idiot at the phone company was apparently under the impression that cutting a phone cable wouldn't actually be a problem for the people living in my neighborhood. This has been a problematical thing in getting work done because -- as it happens -- almost all the work I do requires me to be online in some way shape or form. At the moment, I'm using the Internet connection at the library -- like a common troll! -- and I have to be quick about it.
The lack of connection hasn't been all bad -- Athena's home on Spring Break and we've been having a lot of fun playing catch and doing other stuff -- but it does give one perspective on how much we rely on technology on a day-to-day basis. Thus, the topic for this week's Weekend Assignment:
Weekend Assignment #107: Which recent piece of technology would you miss the most if it suddenly disappeared tomorrow? By "recent," I mean in the last two decades or so (if you didn't have it in 1986, you can't have it now). You can also consider tech which did exist in 1986 but wasn't in common usage. For example, the Internet existed in 1986, but no one except a few geek at universities used it. Any tech is up for consideration, whether it be consumer tech, medical tech, security tech, or whatever.
Extra Credit: If you were cut off from the Internet (like, say, me), how long would it take for you to go completely insane?
For me, the piece of technology I would miss the most is not really the Internet or the Web (although I've been having pathetic shakes the last two days, let me tell you), but e-mail. I haven't really been able to access my e-mail since about 10am yesterday (I can call up headers on the library connection but for some reason can't read it), and this really is nothing short of catastrophic for me. I conduct most of my business through e-mail, and also a whole lot of my communication; I definitely feel like I've had some part of me chopped right off (the part that makes money, which a pretty painful part not to have). Clearly, this needs never happen again.
As for the extra credit, I'll be honest with you, I thought I would be completely insane by now for lack of connection, but aside from the e-mail thing, it's not that horrible. I think it helps that Athena's around to keep me occupied. We've spent a lot of time playing in the yard and doing fun things,and when I get home I think we're going to make cookies. So it could be worse.
Your turn: Tell me what piece of technology from the last 20 years you'd miss the most if it was gone. Write it up on your blog or journal and then come back here to leave a link. I can't promise I'll read it soon (they were supposed to have my connection back this morning, grrrrrrr), but I'm sure others will.
In the meantime, until I get the Internet connection back in the home I'll keep dropping audio messages. Thank goodness for cell phones, and I never thought there'd be a day when I said that.
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i would miss cell phones with text messenging. If it was't for text messenging on cell phones I would never talk to my boyfriend.
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As soon as I read the title I knew my response; Ipod hands down. I might forget my keys when I leave the house, but you better believe that my Ipod is with me. I have to say it's rather addictive. After a while it feels like any other piece of clothing, you feel naked if you leave the house without it.
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I'd have to say the vibrator.
4/15/06 12:24 AM