Could you ever go off-grid?

[Saracen]

The direction MS appear to be taking with Win10 appears to be a large step into a world of zero privacy on the net, and for me, their privacy grab is a step too far. Way to far.

Which got me thinking about options, if not now then in the fairly near future. And it got me thinking .... not just aboyt a Linux switch, but ..... do I actually NEED a computer at all? The answer shocked me .... because it was "no". And even if I have one, I certainly don't NEED an internet connection on it.

Clearly, on a tech forum, the notion that I might actually go off-grid, entirely and permanently, is going to put me in a minority, and perhaps a minority of about one.

But I'm curious .... could you go off-grid?

And if work demands it, could you and would you if work didn't demand net access?

See, it's not that long ago that we didn't have the internet, and we all managed then. I, for one, could again. Oh there's things I'd miss, notably you lot on here. But I can see a much quieter, more peaceful and lower-stress life sans the internet. I wouldn't quite do a "Good Life", but I could easily go a fair way in that direction.

So could you, and/or would you if you could, but for work demands, etc?

Have you ever even considered it?

[Saracen]

For me, the answer is yes, I could. Dunno if I will, or if I do, when. But the more I think about it, the more it appeals.

[Lucio]

I've certainly considered about removing a chunk of my online interaction, switch to being a passive observer rather than an active participant. However, without the internet, I couldn't work practically (it'd be hundred+ mile drives to see clients to fix their problems vs remote repairs) and I'd also lose a good chunk of my social interaction because it's organised via emails, text messages and FB posts.

[Saracen]

I hear you about work, Lucio. A lot of us are in a similar boat, I suspect. I'm about half-retired anyway, and work when I want to, which is less and less. Sometimes not for weeks or months. I'm not wealthy, but I am at a point where living expenses are pared to the bone, and helpfully, no mortgage or rent to worry about. And THAT is extremely liberating, in terms of decision-making. So, I could alter work life a bit, and not need a home (or home-office) internet connection at all for it.

[sammyc]

See, it's not that long ago that we didn't have the internet, and we all managed then.

You say 'we managed'.. but you, or shall we say some, may have managed very much better than others. Non-drivers, people living away from handy facilities etc, are going to have had their lives improved for the internet more than someone with a car &c. Internet shopping, grocery deliveries, banking - they aren't crucial to me exactly, but they're a hell of an advance on the current 'no Post Office, out of town supermarket, and recent bank branch closure' no man's land that I'm finding myself living in. Can easily imagine how people in my area with less resources than I, are going to find they are borderline dependent on the net.

For the information side of it alone, for me it's a definite no. And secondarily, for range of shopping (sourcing books etc), it's fantastic, and such a great leveller - a decent buying & selling market which does away with a) some dodgy dealer telling your granny her stuff is worth next to nothing, and b) not having the price of something you want dictated without easy resource to comparison; assuming you can find what you are after in the first place, which used to be a matter of waiting for bookseller's catalogues & then phoning them up before someone else. Bad old days.

[tepo]

The direction MS appear to be taking with Win10 appears to be a large step into a world of zero privacy on the net, and for me, their privacy grab is a step too far. Way to far.

Which got me thinking about options, if not now then in the fairly near future. And it got me thinking .... not just aboyt a Linux switch, but ..... do I actually NEED a computer at all? The answer shocked me .... because it was "no". And even if I have one, I certainly don't NEED an internet connection on it.

Clearly, on a tech forum, the notion that I might actually go off-grid, entirely and permanently, is going to put me in a minority, and perhaps a minority of about one.

But I'm curious .... could you go off-grid?

And if work demands it, could you and would you if work didn't demand net access?

See, it's not that long ago that we didn't have the internet, and we all managed then. I, for one, could again. Oh there's things I'd miss, notably you lot on here. But I can see a much quieter, more peaceful and lower-stress life sans the internet. I wouldn't quite do a "Good Life", but I could easily go a fair way in that direction.

So could you, and/or would you if you could, but for work demands, etc?

Have you ever even considered it?

Yes & Yes

I will work as your, " super "girl if you hire me , but first you must break out of the phantom zone.

[Knoxville]

Yes and I find the notion of going off the grid very appealing to be honest, although only partially because of the privacy issues. I could get by well enough with an unlisted number and a PO box as far as work goes too enabling me to really disappear should I choose to.

Facebook and social media in general I can do without. My Facebook account has been active for maybe six months out of the last three years and to be truthful I find the place depressing, infuriating and to have very few tangible benefits. People like to say it helps them stay in touch but in reality I find that all it creates is more and more distance. As far as I'm concerned it's an empty room that serves your ego and little else.

Aside from the social aspects the internet can be a fantastic resource for learning, but then so was my library card before it expired. I could do without to be truthful, I would probably miss certain aspects in the short term but be better off in the long run for it. I'm not someone that goes into a panic attack whenever their phone runs low on battery and misses it like a limb when I haven't got it either.

I can't understand that mentality personally, to be honest I find the average persons attatchment to their smart phone of choice to be incredibly annoying. Organise an outing with your friends these days and rather than talking people seem to spend half their time on the phone, don't even get me started on people that record, photograph and document every experience they have either... You go to a live music performance to enjoy it, not to spend the entire time recording a bad quality video you'll never watch again on your iPhone all the while worrying about who might bump into you and knock it out of your hands.

[sammyc]

Organise an outing with your friends these days and rather than talking people seem to spend half their time on the phone, don't even get me started on people that record, photograph and document every experience they have either...

“I've become like one of those people I hate, the sort who go to the museum and, instead of looking at the magnificent Brueghel, take a picture of it, reducing it from art to proof. It's not "Look what Brueghel did, painted this masterpiece" but "Look what I did, went to Rotterdam and stood in front of a Brueghel painting!” David Sedaris

(and of course: People take pictures of the summer
Just in case someone thought they had missed it
And to prove that it really existed.. how much worse is it now, than when Ray Davies penned that! )

[Saracen]

“I've become like one of those people I hate, the sort who go to the museum and, instead of looking at the magnificent Brueghel, take a picture of it, reducing it from art to proof. It's not "Look what Brueghel did, painted this masterpiece" but "Look what I did, went to Rotterdam and stood in front of a Brueghel painting!” ....

Except, of course, Sedaris is assuming why people do that. It may be, and often is in my experience, that people take such photos as an aide to memory, to have something permanent in their possession that acts as a reminder, and indeed, a memory trigger. I have thousands of such photos, and I'd bet 95% of them never have, and likely never will be seen by another person, with the sometimes exception of my wife.

The vast bulk of my photos are for me, not for anyone else, and I know I was there, and don't need to prove it to myself, never mind anybody else. Very rarely do I inflict my photos on someone else, and if I do, it'll be in very limited numbers.

[GuidoLS]

There are things on the internet that, unfortunately, I've come to rely on. Accurate, reasonably unbiased news. Newspapers here are going the route of the dinosaur, they're becoming much more partisan than ever, and the content has been reduced to pages instead of sections. All for an inflated price. We no longer get a yellow or white pages for the telephone - we have to look such things up on line. You can call 'information', but there's a charge for talking to a real human. If you want to go to the movies, the theater or a concert, you almost have to buy your tickets online now. The only exception is concerts and theater, and then you have to go to the venue and hope that they aren't sold out, and if you need multiples, you can get them grouped together.

Between that and the fact that I've come to enjoy the entertainment aspect of having a computer, the answer is yes, I could and have lived without access to a computer (if this is what you equate with going off the grid - my definition is a bit different and a bit broader). It would be annoying. It would be uncomfortable. But yes, I could. Will I? That's a different creature altogether.

[TooNice]

Simple answer is no. I am sure I can for up for a few months, provided I am on holiday with something better to do. And I am sure it'll be refreshing. But I am undeniably a hermit whenever I go off-grid. Say what you like about FB etc., but it undoubtedly helped with organising social events and help keeping in touch with friends thousands of kilometres away. Now I don't see the appeal of having thousands of FB "friends"and have grown very stingy when it comes to adding new friends nowadays, but I can also say that it is a format that such tool has allowed me a higher retention of friends after we separate (something common in my life due to moving a lot, and often meeting people who are also in the same place on a temporary basis. Keeping in touch also allows me to reunite with them during holidays and such. Considering I haven't even settled down, and won't for years to come, I don't want to be off the grid.

Not to mention that a chunk of my shopping is done online, and to me, better off this way.

[g8ina]

Sadly, not a hope I do sometimes wish I could, but the net is a lifeline for me. Really don't think I could cope without it.

Bum.

[jag272]

For me, and given I'm probably one of the youngest members here, it's a no.

That said, I avoid providing personal information except where necessary and while I did register for Facebook long ago, I rarely ever use it. So little in fact that for my work I registered a completely separate account. In that sense I guess I'm running against the flow a bit for my generation.

That said, I'm too used to reading the forums, reading up on the news here on Hexus, researching what I might want to consider for my PC next when funds allow etc etc that I wouldn't be able to do without. Not to mention ofcourse that through my better years so far it's always been there and been something I've grown up with, so converting to the "old ways" wouldn't really work out for me.

I certainly don't think I'm as intertwined as many others my age though. I rarely use social media, prefer talking on forums and a few people on Steam. I also don't use my phone non-stop, despite owning an LG G3. My phone is mostly there for media consumption or web browsing when I don't fancy being sat in front of my PC. As far as calls or texts, it's basically a work phone in that regard, for better or worse.

[Spreadie]

I find it amusing that anyone would think that simply ditching your internet access constitutes going "off grid".

[stevie lee]

tried it for 4 months back at the end of 2008 after my computer broke.
I was constantly annoying my sister to borrow her computer for the first month, but then Christmas came and I spent 2 months watching pretty much everything on TV with my mum.
the next month I went back to annoying my sister on her computer, then I bought a new one and started annoying you lot on here even more

until about a year or so ago I would have to have said No I cant go off-grid.

currently my online presence is restricted to twitter with 146 tweets. and over 2000 posts on Hexus. you wont find me anywhere else online. I think there roughly 5 people on here who know who I am and where I live (due to competition wins and Lans), so tracking me down wont be easy.

so now, I think its relatively easy for me to disappear. just sign out of Hexus, delete twitter profile and I'll be gone.
its just the first few months adjusting to a non online lifestyle that's the hardest.

[Butcher]

I have been off-grid completely while on holiday (as in no phone or power let alone internet), and it's nice to not have the internet demanding attention for a while. But long term it would just make life really hard. The infrastructure of modern life is not really set up for living off the grid.