What if internet did not exist ?

[unclebulgaria67]

Someone raised the issue of assumptions being made by companies, government and people that everyone has the internet. This is obviously not the case and to those that don't have it, there will be frustrations caused when told that they need to take an action online.

 

Today there was some announcement that Skype was down around the world, as if it was a big inconvenience. We regularly see computer problems meaning that services are not available.

 

I want you to imagine that tomorrow you woke up to find that the internet was no longer available and would not be available again. How would this affect you, the business you work for and the world economy ?

 

I think the world would be as devastated by internet disappearing, as it would if hostile aliens invaded the Earth. So much is now invested in using the internet for every aspect of life, that any major issue affecting it would have a massive impact.

[Conniff]

What a free, happy and ignorant world this would be.

 

There is a big big difference in in not existing and being taken away.

[obiter dictum]

Do you know why the internet was invented before it was put into the public arena?? It will surprise you

[Sparks_]

Skype being down yesterday was an inconvenience.... I play an online game and we use skype to communicate to team members

[citizenB]

Do you know why the internet was invented before it was put into the public arena?? It will surprise you

 

The origins of the Internet date back to research commissioned by the United States government in the 1960s to build robust, fault-tolerant communication via computer networks. The primary precursor network, the ARPANET, initially served as a backbone for interconnection of regional academic and military networks in the 1980s

 

 

Or is this not correct ?

[citizenB]

Someone raised the issue of assumptions being made by companies, government and people that everyone has the internet. This is obviously not the case and to those that don't have it, there will be frustrations caused when told that they need to take an action online.

 

Today there was some announcement that Skype was down around the world, as if it was a big inconvenience. We regularly see computer problems meaning that services are not available.

 

I want you to imagine that tomorrow you woke up to find that the internet was no longer available and would not be available again. How would this affect you, the business you work for and the world economy ?

 

I think the world would be as devastated by internet disappearing, as it would if hostile aliens invaded the Earth. So much is now invested in using the internet for every aspect of life, that any major issue affecting it would have a massive impact.

 

This is actually quite a scary thought.

 

Although I was very reluctant to sign up to the internet, I have come to rely on it.

 

1: I hate shopping - OH has always done the food shop, but I have to be dragged kicking and screaming to buy new clothes or other items. The internet allows me shop quite happily

 

2: Communication - with a son the other side of the world, I can communicate very cheaply via Skype and using the video connection, it is as though he is close by.

 

3: I have a wider network of friends I can communicate with via email/Skype (I don't do social networking eg Facebook)

 

4: CAG wouldn't exist, I would have to do housework

 

5: Banking, research, ebaying.

 

 

I don't know, the list is endless isn't it ?

[obiter dictum]

Now i am impressed citizenB

 

I did a paper on this very subject.

 

Put simply the yanks were terrified a soviet strike on one command and control centre would knock out all their nuclear counter attack options.

 

It allowed for the button to be pushed at multiple command and control locations.

 

It was also the US Navy that invented that secret communications system that is almost impossible to hack called the TOR Netwok. That was used to communicate with their spies. To ths day even the American national security agency cannot crack the Tor network

[unclebulgaria67]

I think it is correct that the internet was originally for universities and laboratories around the world to communicate. Also it was for defence purposes, so allies could communicate, even if there was a nuclear war..

 

But back to the question, if the internet was affected by some major outage, which is quite possible,the affects would be massive because of the amount of activities that rely on it. All the Banks computers and money clearing systems are connected via the internet. Many companies now rely on internet sales to operate etc etc. I read that the current internet infrastructure is getting near to its maximum capacity and will need significant investment to keep it running properly.

[citizenB]

 

 

All the Banks computers and money clearing systems are connected via the internet.

 

Time to start saving under the mattress then !

[unclebulgaria67]

Time to start saving under the mattress then !

 

Well there have been problems with Banks recently, with people not able to get money out and transactions not going through.

 

Going back years ago, the Banks had large data centres and they use to transport data discs from around the country for batch runs. But now it is done instantly, with data transfered through the internet. It only takes problems with internet connections or to IT and you cannot access your money. So yes keeping some cash is sensible. Could you imagine the panic of some people if the banking system crashed a week before Christmas.

[obiter dictum]

I used to do that many years ago, BACS

 

On a motorcycle with what looked like film canisters

[unclebulgaria67]

I used to do that many years ago, BACS

 

On a motorcycle with what looked like film canisters

 

Yes those are the ones. Some Banks had their centre in Kegworth.

[SabreSheep]

Tim Berners-Lee

[unclebulgaria67]

Tim Berners-Lee

 

He invented WWW while working for CERN, but not the internet as such.

[obiter dictum]

I listened to a documentary where they interviewd Tim Berners - lee

 

He developed the WWW-internet as it was then as a medium for free thought and expression free of state control

 

He has stated he is uncomfortable with the restrictions in the name of security Governments, especially the UK are trying to impose. He even praised the Tor Network saying that while that is in operation, the internet will always be free to express.

[think about it]

I remember seeing the web for the first time when I started uni in '97. I knew of it but at that point it was expensive to access and had pretty limited use. Nevertheless I'm lucky to have seen it develop to what it is now and can't wait to see what's coming.

 

If it were to disappear. Okay.

 

I'd lose contact with a good few Uni friends, ex colleagues. Perhaps it's time to get their addresses for 'christmas cards'.

 

Work wise, the NHS is as reliant on the web as any other big company. We'd lose access to patient's electronic records which were recently centralised. Sure enough, the infrastructure to go back to locally held data is there but it'd take time to get the physical back-ups to us. We also have all of our financial funtions and claiming as web-based. That'd go too.

 

We'd lose significant educational and communcation tools, currently we send hospital referrals via secure connections and recieve test results in the opposite direction. It'd significantly slow that process too.

 

Thanks to government meddling in banking my local branch after Lloyds TSB were split up is now a 140 mile round-trip from home, so that'd be fun too.

[Conniff]

I remember seeing the web for the first time when I started uni in '97. I knew of it but at that point it was expensive to access and had pretty limited use. Nevertheless I'm lucky to have seen it develop to what it is now and can't wait to see what's coming.

 

If it were to disappear. Okay.

 

I'd lose contact with a good few Uni friends, ex colleagues. Perhaps it's time to get their addresses for 'christmas cards'.

 

Work wise, the NHS is as reliant on the web as any other big company. We'd lose access to patient's electronic records which were recently centralised. Sure enough, the infrastructure to go back to locally held data is there but it'd take time to get the physical back-ups to us. We also have all of our financial funtions and claiming as web-based. That'd go too.

 

We'd lose significant educational and communcation tools, currently we send hospital referrals via secure connections and recieve test results in the opposite direction. It'd significantly slow that process too.

 

Thanks to government meddling in banking my local branch after Lloyds TSB were split up is now a 140 mile round-trip from home, so that'd be fun too.

 

What government meddling in the banks ?

[SabreSheep]

If the internet disappeared the old system would reinvent itself using Bulletin Boards and dial up to transfer information. Unless of course phone lines disappear with the internet.

[think about it]

What government meddling in the banks ?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/sep/08/tsb-returns-high-street

[Conniff]

I don't actually see any government interaction there. They bailed them out with billions which saved them going to the wall and taking their customers hard earned with them.

[numbers666]

Janet and arpanet joined. Packet switching.

 

I had a power cut last year for 24 hours.

 

I built an airfix model frigate ihad had for two years by candle light. Took me back to childhood.

 

Perhaps the pace of life would be slower, work would produce letters or faxes and we would wait for responses !

 

Top shelfs in newsagents would be full. People would interact with each other in real life.

 

Google would not have the answer.

 

Don't just lose the net, lose electricity too...