Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Without the internet I would still have been a ginger-hating homophobic racist. There have been people who've come into my life who have PhDs and people who can't even spell PhD, but I wouldn't have spoken to them had we met in a pub without the internet bringing us together. Of all the things the net has given it's tolerance that is the one that stands out - when you can't see the person on the other keyboard you can't judge them. I've got to know a lot of people I've never met face to face and quite a few I have now met since 'meeting' them online, and though I may not like some very much, the majority have been great people to know.

I share a house with two people I met through another online bike group, my last three girlfriends have all been members of one online bike group or another and I use the net to stay in contact with all four of my kids, now they are distributed all over the country.

I can honestly say I'd be lost without it, but I would learn to cope given time, after all, I didn't have the internet for 35 years of my life.

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Without the internet there would be no Pete and Lissa (What was that, Pete? Damned internet? :D)

Without the internet we wouldn't have met the people we have, made the friendships we've made, or had half as much fun. We'd have ridden a lot of lonely miles.

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Oh I have a tear in my eye.


Oh no wait, that's not a tear, that's a drop of beer that splashed in my face as I laughed. :wink:

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Cynic:p

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Without da web I would never have met any of you guys. Its ACE i have made some good friends this year, I really foward to meeting up with everyone and going out on our bikes or just hangin out. It also means I can talk to friends in US, that I met when I was out there a few years back.

There are two things I need apart from my bike and my friends, that is music and the web!

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Without the internet and its related technologies, I would only be fixing phones instead of ADSLs and ISDNs and my lectures would consist of "this is a pair of wires."

Without the internet, I would have to ponce around on the phone to do anything work related, or do my expenses by post. The internet has made things easier and more reliable.

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

Bloody internet. I had someone who I was at school with wanting to chat - I thought I'd lost all those people back in 1979, Nick 762 included, he was in the year below me and he only turned upon here of all places!!! - but there is nowhere to hide:rolleyes:

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

On the whole I feel that internet is a wonderful thing. I only really began using it about 6 years ago and have found it a marvellous vehicle for sourcing all manner of information.

The downside is that not all of the information available is of a decent nature and I despair of the level of fraud and paedophile use that it attracts. It does bring right in to your home at times details of people that you would rather have no knowledge of at all also.

Forums on the whole are a great means of socialising without having to worry about how you look etc which must be a boon for many who lack in confidance.

Easier to live with than mobile phones as I really find them intrusive, you are always there for people to break in to whatever situation you find yourself. Almost 22 years of having a mobile and I would much rather get back to the telephone message and call back days gone by.

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

The internet's been several things for me, not all at the same time and some reasons come and go, but on the whole and in no particular order:

Crippo's lifeline - order my prescriptions, shopping, information (so I know what some of those long words the surgeon uses actually mean ;)). Information too - mainly on employment law, disability at work act n stuff like that - invaluable.

Something to hide behind - a computer screen is as good as any for shielding the shy. :oops: Though I don't use Facewotzit or Myblogthing or anything like that. In fact the more I think about it, I hardly even use email to 'socialise' - only here really. You lucky people you. ;)

Ebay - hell, without that I wouldn't be able to pay the bills! ;)

'Stuff' TM - I still use the Library, books, Discovery/History Channel :roll: ;), but I like finding out about 'Stuff'. Even more so with Uni work, I now have fun searching through academic journals that I would probably never have seen in my life.
Main problem is that I don't actually like reading from a screen that much, so instead run to a small forest in printing... but I do try to balance that out by contributing to tree planting projects. :oops:

I would like to use it to share my limited talents with the world - in other words eventually have a decent website/portfolio of my leatherwork. Hey - where else can you get exposure worldwide for such a cheap price without having to have killed/slept with/ripped off someone famous. ;)

It's also, and perhaps most importantly, something that can bring a smile to my face sometimes. Not just for the occasional joke someone shares, or link to some amusing video, but like a letter that pops through the door with familiar handwriting on - it's nice when the internet lets you know that certain people you think of are out there, somewhere, thinking of you.
That's kinda cool.

Re: this internet thing ??????
 

i use it mostly for internet banking. moving from one account to the other to try and attempt avoiding bank charges (failing miserably just now). When depressed I go on catalogue sites and put £100s worth of stuff in my basket and then log out. makes me feel better. I look up information for holidays and look for houses and jobs.

also keeps kids quiet, son plays games on some site or other and my daughter spends most of her waking hours on msn.

met my soulmate on this very site 3.5 years ago, have made some great friends, but am not on here as much as I was 4 years ago.

oh yeah and used it for handing in assessments when I did open university course earlier in the year