If the internet is out and you can't work... ?

[Heatman]

Internet downtime doesn't happen very often and I would say that telecommunications companies knows how important it is to have steady internet connection because most of everything runs with the help of internet. But there's always a time when a downtime will hit and if feels like the world is ending. Whenever such happens and you can't work, what do you usually do with the spare time?

 

[Tracy]

Since I'm retired... I simply go find something else to do! 🙃
But no... not "everything" runs via the internet... at the local clinics I volunteer IT time for... if the computer infrastructure goes down.. they simply have paper forms that they use to accumulate their medical information and then when the infrastructure is back up.. they have lower level employees that update the patient records.
If the business plans well.. there is usually no "spare" time. There are RARE occasions where network connectivity would stop work... but generally, for the major part of working society, you can get by without the computers/internet if you have planned well.

 

[Arantor]

telecommunications companies knows how important it is to have steady internet connection

Nah, the longer the outage, the more chance they'll have to give you some money back, and that is a higher driver to getting things fixed than any belief in how much they care about your service.

But in my world, I rarely have downtime; I don't *need* the internet to do the vast majority of my job which is writing and testing code. I only really *need* internet connectivity to push my code to the shared repository and to deploy it, as well as being in client meetings since I work 100% remote.

 

[Ravenfreak]

My internet tends to go out later on in the night. A lot of my neighbors are switching over to a fiber service that was just installed a few months ago and I wonder if it'll be worth doing the same thing soon... Anyways if the internet is down when I need to work on my computer, I just play video games offline until my internet is back up and running. My main 9-5 job is in a factory however, so my home internet doesn't affect that at all of course though.

 

[Cory]

I haven't had many internet outages, but if I did deal with them, I'd probably go for a walk, go window shopping, or watch TV. I say this now, but sometimes I find myself pacing around the house when I'm bored, so it's just a matter of how I'm feeling at the time.

 

[cynosure.x]

I drive a car for a living, the only problem would be that my work phone didn't update my route for the day. But then we'd just call dispatch. They have the bigger issue when internet isn't working. Then it's back to old school paper work and calling people. But that's not my problem. :#

Edit: come to think of it, Google maps wouldn't work either so I would have a bigger problem... But then I have my own phone on a different, lucky me, network which hopefully isn't also down.

 

[Tracy]

Edit: come to think of it, Google maps wouldn't work either so I would have a bigger problem... But then I have my own phone on a different, lucky me, network which hopefully isn't also down.

One reason I make sure that my car "entertainment system" has navigation built into it.... yes, with my Pioneer system it may cost me for "future" updates to the navigation.. but having it built in and not dependent on the internet is REALLY nice.

 

[cynosure.x]

One reason I make sure that my car "entertainment system" has navigation built into it.... yes, with my Pioneer system it may cost me for "future" updates to the navigation.. but having it built in and not dependent on the internet is REALLY nice.

That is nice indeed. I do have an old school GPS system that works on satellite so that would work too but unfortunately it's always at home so I wouldn't have it with me when the internet stops working.

 

[Tracy]

That is nice indeed. I do have an old school GPS system that works on satellite so that would work too but unfortunately it's always at home so I wouldn't have it with me when the internet stops working.

I assume you have a glove box? And either a USB port or cigarette port in your vehicle?
I keep my Zumo 595 in my truck central console "just in case" my radio head takes a dump on itself... and since I have lifetime maps for it... I keep it updated.
Yes, it's a motorcycle specific GPS... but it's well made, has a great screen and has lifetime updates (as I mentioned).
The fact it's "always at home" is a decision you make...

 

[cynosure.x]

I assume you have a glove box? And either a USB port or cigarette port in your vehicle?
I keep my Zumo 595 in my truck central console "just in case" my radio head takes a dump on itself... and since I have lifetime maps for it... I keep it updated.
Yes, it's a motorcycle specific GPS... but it's well made, has a great screen and has lifetime updates (as I mentioned).
The fact it's "always at home" is a decision you make...

I do, also could put it in my backpack I bring but I just don't because I already have a badge registration device on my front window and having another thing on my window is something that takes away from my view and I'd get annoyed. It is indeed a choice, you are right. But maybe I'm hoping work would offer a solution to failing internet. we've never had it happen before. What we do have frequently (more than I'd expect in this technology advanced era) is the phone network is down and we can't reach dispatch.

 

[Tracy]

What we do have frequently (more than I'd expect in this technology advanced era) is the phone network is down and we can't reach dispatch.

And this is why I keep a dedicated GPS device that I keep up to date with the latest maps in the vehicle along with a power supply source for it. 🤔

 

[Tracy]

On an unrelated note.. I REALLY wish my knees would support me getting back into motorcycling... next to my astrophotography... it was one of the "more fun" hobbies I had... the sad fact is that when your knees won't allow you to reliably support a bike upright.... you simply need to acknowledge the fact that hobby is no longer for you and find another to pursue... and yes, that could be doing the same on 3 wheels.. but for me, it's simply no comparison. I really hate losing the ability to enjoy being out (reliably) on 2 wheels.. but sometimes we actually to have to act "adult".

 

[Reverie]

I read books in those instances. I have a Kindle that has several books downloaded so I can read on there as well if I feel like it. Sometimes I play video games that do not require the internet. I'll put a DVD/bluray in and watch a movie. It doesn't happen frequently, but if the internet is down down, then I can definitely fill the time. Maybe even take a nap honestly lol.

 

[cynosure.x]

I read books in those instances. I have a Kindle that has several books downloaded so I can read on there as well if I feel like it. Sometimes I play video games that do not require the internet. I'll put a DVD/bluray in and watch a movie. It doesn't happen frequently, but if the internet is down down, then I can definitely fill the time. Maybe even take a nap honestly lol.

Taking a nap at work?

Teachers who didn't want to educate made us watch movies too. 😅

 

[Reverie]

Taking a nap at work?

Teachers who didn't want to educate made us watch movies too. 😅

Wow.... I realized I didn't even read the topic correctly. I was just excited about what I normally do lmao.

AT WORK - no internet - sometimes I give the kids a writing prompt and they have to write on paper, we play games like would you rather, having to come up with a back up plan can suck. I know sometimes we tell them to get a book and read as well. lol.

 

[cynosure.x]

Wow.... I realized I didn't even read the topic correctly. I was just excited about what I normally do lmao.

AT WORK - no internet - sometimes I give the kids a writing prompt and they have to write on paper, we play games like would you rather, having to come up with a back up plan can suck. I know sometimes we tell them to get a book and read as well. lol.

Do you need internet that often as a teacher of kids the age you teach?

 

[Reverie]

Do you need internet that often as a teacher of kids the age you teach?

Yep. Especially in the class I had been teaching. The kids had to be on the computer for 40 minutes of the 60 minute class. They had an online reading portion, and a "software" portion as well. We only worked in the book 20 minutes a day. Plus all our review games are digital.

I'll be teaching Social Studies now... and I know when I did it previously it was like 30% on the computer, but I'm sure it's more digital now. We heavily rely on technology now and no one really has text books, or use the text books we do have now a days.

 

[cynosure.x]

Yep. Especially in the class I had been teaching. The kids had to be on the computer for 40 minutes of the 60 minute class. They had an online reading portion, and a "software" portion as well. We only worked in the book 20 minutes a day. Plus all our review games are digital.

I'll be teaching Social Studies now... and I know when I did it previously it was like 30% on the computer, but I'm sure it's more digital now. We heavily rely on technology now and no one really has text books, or use the text books we do have now a days.

Guess I can't really compare it to my years of going to school where the only class we needed internet for was IT class.. 😅

 

[Tracy]

Guess I can't really compare it to my years of going to school where the only class we needed internet for was IT class.. 😅

Well.. think about when you didn't even have dial up access to BBS's...

The coolest teacher I ever had was a 7th grade science teacher.. and he brought his TRASH-80 into class and let us play Star Trek on it... of course, he had to code it himself using provided code... it's what got me interested in computers at an VERY early age. Pity that finances/life didn't allow me to pursue that love as I had to get a job directly out of high school to help support my divorced mother.

 

[TwitchisMental]

One of the downsides to having only internet and nothing else... When it goes out... doooooom haha. Nah I can always make my phone a hotspot.

In other cases I got Blu Rays and DVDs to watch.