Reliance on Technology

It’s been an interesting three weeks since my last post. I started having problems with my internet connection. Occasional dropping of signal, intermittent phone issues and plenty of downtime. Frustrating, but still able to check out other blogs and do my usual things.

Then, two weeks ago my wireless router died.

The comfort of the flickering green lights shining from the corner of the room confirming an internet connection were gone.  The little router had pushed out its last wireless signal and shuffled off to wherever the wireless routers equivalent of the elephants graveyard is. (Currently a drawer in my study)

As a back-up, I have a smart phone, but the source of its intelligence is a signal and when inside the house I hook it up to the wi-fi and that was dead. My phone contract includes internet access via a 3G signal. Inside I’m lucky to get 1G or nothing. 1G is like me drawing the webpage as I think it will display on a piece of paper. Only slower.

Not good!

For two weeks I’ve had to go cold turkey with only occasional access at work in my lunch breaks.

Over this time, I’ve realised how much I rely on the internet. For everything. We do our weekly grocery shopping online and have it delivered to the door. (If you do this right the delivery is free) Can’t do that without internet access.

I’ve had to battle through the traffic and the supermarket queues to do a full shop. I know what you’re saying. Boo Hoo 😉 But it’s something that I’m used to.

I don’t buy newspapers. Why bother. All the information I need is available on the web. For the last two weeks people have had discussions about things at work and it was the first I’d heard about it. The world could be crumbling around me and I’d be none the wiser.

I’ve also noticed how many times you’re pointed towards the internet. Virtually all adverts want to send you to their site for more details. I WOULD IF I COULD.

Even the television news gives you a taster of a story. The headline, a sound-bite and they then end with a tag line “for more news on this item log on to our website.”

I CAN’T. Stop tormenting me.

I felt like I was going to switch on the news to hear: “There is a large asteroid the size of Texas hurtling towards the earth. For more information check out our website.”

English: asteroid 1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Noooooooooooo. I NEED a signal, a connection.

After several phone calls, one engineer visit and delays in the postal system, my new wireless router arrived on Friday. Over 800 emails were waiting in my inbox to keep me busy.

You’ll be relieved to know that I’ve already done my grocery shopping so normal service has been resumed.

So if you were wondering where the dark glasses wearing, bald guy from the UK has been recently, the imposed exile is over. My reliance on technology can resume and I hope to get by your blogs over the coming days, weeks, months. 😀

Oh, the relief to find out that there isn’t a Texas asteroid headed our way. Not that they’re telling us anyway!

Thank you for using technology to read this post.