A world without Internet.

[Reynard]

It is, but you need to be able to read it to find out whether it's any use. I could request papers from the library for £1, but it's annoying to wait 3 weeks then find it's no help. (Essex Library requests had gone up to £7 last time I checked, but it seems they're back down to £1.25 now.)

Are we talking academic papers here, or newspapers?

If it's the former, then access to the abstracts of a given publication / conference proceedings is usually free - although you may need access via a library / academic institution. These at least give you a heads up as to whether something is potentially useful or not.

Newspapers, well that's more pot luck, though searching the British Library database (date / publication / keywords) is also free. You *do* need an account to be able to read the articles, however.

 

[Time Waster]

You can but I prefer our local office on the basis that it is much easier for me and “ use it or lose it “.
I also get printed tickets which I also prefer.

We buy Calmac tickets online and just print them out. Sure it is A4 paper but that folds up and is as good as tickets bought at a Calmac office just that we can pre-book and be sure of getting on the ferry we want. Internet is good for that.

More locally I book my train tickets to work online on my phone app. I get an e-ticket but can also send a copy to my printer which is quicker at the station I get off at then on coming home. It has a QR reader and mhy phone takes an age to open up when I want it quickly. It is quick when I am in no rush, but that is just my difficult phone (yes, i anthromorphise it as a cantankerous old man as it is over 4 years old). So the printed copy sits in my pocket so as I am wheeling mhy bike out through the wide gate I can quickly scan it and be one of the first out. The bike section of the train seems to stop right by the exit door.

I think there is too much that is advantageous in the internet to regress to an age without it. If you disagree then what are you doing on here? Bugger off the internet!!!!!

 

[oldwheels]

We buy Calmac tickets online and just print them out. Sure it is A4 paper but that folds up and is as good as tickets bought at a Calmac office just that we can pre-book and be sure of getting on the ferry we want. Internet is good for that.

More locally I book my train tickets to work online on my phone app. I get an e-ticket but can also send a copy to my printer which is quicker at the station I get off at then on coming home. It has a QR reader and mhy phone takes an age to open up when I want it quickly. It is quick when I am in no rush, but that is just my difficult phone (yes, i anthromorphise it as a cantankerous old man as it is over 4 years old). So the printed copy sits in my pocket so as I am wheeling mhy bike out through the wide gate I can quickly scan it and be one of the first out. The bike section of the train seems to stop right by the exit door.

I think there is too much that is advantageous in the internet to regress to an age without it. If you disagree then what are you doing on here? Bugger off the internet!!!!!

I use my local office because it is handy and very helpful and besides it helps to keep somebody in a job.
Sure I use the internet otherwise I would not be here being patronised.

 

[Drago]

I only use the interweb to come on here for the daily fashion tips from our Accy.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

The interet is one of the most profound and wonderful technological changes in my nearly 68 years since I arose from stardust.

I wouldn't want to be without it. I love the interconnectivity, all the knowledge at my fingertips, and the unbridled ease of simply doing 'stuff' that simplifies my life.

Do youngsters spend too much time on it? Probably. But their young world is vastly different to my young world. And people adapt their behaviours to the world they live in.

The only negative I see is the possible redundancy of face to face interactions. One for parents to be aware of and to offer guidance in, or initiate below the radar group activities etc that 'force' real-life interaction.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think there is too much that is advantageous in the internet to regress to an age without it. If you disagree then what are you doing on here? Bugger off the internet!!!!!

A spider types this stuff for me on the web.

 

[ColinJ]

The only negative I see is the possible redundancy of face to face interactions.

That is why I got involved in forum rides!

I have met so many forum members now that I have completely lost track of how many. I reckon it is 200+.

 

[Drago]

I've met three. And jolly nice they all are too.

 

[oldwheels]

I use my local office because it is handy and very helpful and besides it helps to keep somebody in a job.
Sure I use the internet otherwise I would not be here being patronised.

As an add on I should mention that the Calmac website did not allow me to book as I have an age related concession plus a blue badge. That has now been corrected apparently but I still use the local office who have all my details on file so I just need to agree sailing times and present payment.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Booking bikes on multiple trains legs of one journey or rail sail still requires you visit a ticket office for the bike bit.

 

[presta]

Are we talking academic papers here, or newspapers?

Academic. I've had a few occasions when the abstract has looked promising, then the full text been disappointing.

Access varies a lot by publisher, the European Society of Cardiology are generous, most of their papers are open, but Elsevier and Taylor & Francis less so.

 

[ColinJ]

I've met three. And jolly nice they all are too.

I met three that I didn't want to ever meet again...

The other 200-odd were fine people though!

 

[Reynard]

Academic. I've had a few occasions when the abstract has looked promising, then the full text been disappointing.

Access varies a lot by publisher, the European Society of Cardiology are generous, most of their papers are open, but Elsevier and Taylor & Francis less so.

Hah, yes, well... Jazzing up abstracts to get more people reading a paper is nothing new. At least with the older stuff, you can usually cross-check with other papers and textbooks.

I can't say I've had over many issues accessing stuff in the past, but I've been out of my field (strength of materials / composites / vehicle impact) for a few years now, so not sure what the current access is like.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I really get annoyed when he has a meal with us and eat with his tablet in front of him.

My father used to read his newspaper at the dinner table, only grunting monosyllables when wanting something passed over.
All fathers I knew did the same thing.
Of course, I wasn't allowed to bring a book at the table!

Oh jeez! I was born in the 70s and being dumped on the kid's table with no interaction with the patents was simply standard practise when family or friends got together with their families

Same here lol, us older kids had to watch the younger ones too, what a pita.

Poor timing for some when the Virgin Media broadband and TV service died in our street earlier this week.
Who knew a soccerball match was so important?

When I was young, growing up in Italy, all the guys carried a small radio when out on the Sunday family stroll, to listen to the football match.
No doubt, nowadays the watch/listen to it on their phones when out an about.

Games consoles were available when we were kids. You were not allowed to be on them for long periods.

We had one of the first Atari.
My father was the one that played on it more than us kids.

To me, the internet is the best thing ever: I wish I had it when I was a kid, could have read all the books I wanted instead of begging for a library card, then finding out that the library was only open during school hours, so I could not go!
I could have kept contact with my family abroad, I would have been more streetwise when I finally left home.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

To me, the internet is the best thing ever: I wish I had it when I was a kid

It was around when you were a kid. Just that most of us didn’t have it at home and school‘s had access locked it away in computer rooms. Plus it was quite slow back then although books being text would be fine.