New Poll - Whats the Internet worth to you?

[LCHIEN]

I saw this poll elsewhere. The question is, how much money would someone have to pay you to give up the internet for a year?

[hophop]

I need the Internet for my day job, so it is indispensable. Plus my woodworking learning would be severely affected.

[toolguy1000]

literally, indispensable!

[Cochese]

I work via the internet, so...

[pelligrini]

I wouldn't consider 20K to be even close to seriously even think about it.

Even if it was just to give up non-work related internet 20K would be hard to swallow. No woodworking forums, paying bills by mail, no email...
no way...

[Whaler]

We live out in the sticks where there isn't much available in the way of shopping unless you are satisfied with Costo, Wallyworld and HD. Without the internet we would be running around naked and I wouldn't have any pen supplies.

[LCHIEN]

i'm now thinking i may save a lot of money not having the internet...

[dbhost]

I effectively make my living off of the internet, so you'd have to pay me seriously big bucks to stay off the 'net for a year. Perhaps $350K to tide my family over and some funds to retrain me to do something productive that I could make a living at...

[cabinetman]

I lived just fine without it.

.

[leehljp]

I love the online banking and bill paying and would hate to go back. I checked "$20,000", but it doesn't come close to the value it has for my family. I know some have stated that their income is dependent on the internet and I fully understand that.

For me, besides the banking and online buying, family and extended family have drawn closer due to the internet. I am in contact with family from California to Chicago to Florida and all over the South because of the internet. Skype allowed us to do interviews from from different continents and still does for our organization. In my work in Japan, Skype allowed me to be at home at times and do video conferencing with co-workers a hundred miles away, instead of traveling. Today, I am in video contact with Japanese friends and international friends for free via Skype.

Skype allowed me to watch the Cowboys in Japan many times with my daughter in the US when she would turn her computer to face the TV. GREAT time together via the internet. LOML and I spent countless hours visiting our grandchildren between 2006 and 2010 via Skype. We spent one Thanksgiving meal with our three daughters and grandkids via Skype. Can't put a price on that.

[Stytooner]

My entire business is internet based, so you need higher figures in the poll. Quite a bit higher. It would take a cool quarter million for me to leave it alone for a year. Not really a good question though. If something happened that I was or the internet was inaccessible, then I'd have bigger fish to fry and money wouldn't come into play. It would be more about frying fish than surfing. It pays to have more than one hobby.

[SilentSam]

I voted for $500 because I pay a little more then that for access every year.

I ditched my cell phone a year ago this month. Sure there are fleeting moments where one would be nice, but I don't miss it.

We don't have cable tv either. I have even been considering ditching our internet and/or land line too. Wifey has a cell phone her employer pays for. She checks our email on it.

The way I feel these days, if an email can't do the trick then you better learn how to lick stamps again.

Your mileage may vary.

SS

[LCHIEN]

apparently the poll was run on 1000 online respondents in each of the G20 leading industrial countries which represents 80+ percent of the worlds GNPs (sales).

I guess i set the value too low for this group... the original poll had some some countries as low as $320 and the highest was France at $4500. UK was $3500 and the US was about $2500. Worldwide it was $1420. I expected higher but only set the top to 20K, a now obvious defect. Not sure what the criteria was for respondents in the original survey - apparently not that many professional people.

Now that I think about it the fact that some of make a living using the internet would cause us to take alternate jobs... than makes a big difference. The payment would have to make up for your salary difference plus inconvenience as well as personal loss. Could easily be $50K or 100K

[LinuxRandal]

If it weren't work related, then I don't think it would be that hard for me. I still pay bills the old fashioned way, heck, I am within a couple minutes of being able to pay them at one of the main utilities, on the way to work and save postage.
I don't online bank, still do that the old fashioned way. I still use cash while I bet more of you use plastic to pay more. (debit or credit doesn't matter still uses a machine)
No "Smart phone", just a basic prepaid cell phone that costs me $100 a year. I do expect the phone usage would go up, trying to order items (for work, home, the shop, etc). This is where the internet comes in handy for me, I can get something ordered at 2am if need be. (BTDT)

While I wouldn't be posting or visiting online friends, I would probably get more done and maybe meet, actual people (gasp, the horror). Less then one months cable (only for the internet, didn't even have it hooked to tv for years, until I needed a diagnosis for cable problems), would pay for retail of the dvd of Doctor Who. The other shows, would just be missed (watch online some stuff not available here, like Mrs. Brown's Boys)
Don't watch a lot of tv now, mainly two shows I like and only one of them is on a day when I could watch it.

I have actually been thinking of cutting down the speed of mine to the slowest Comcast (my isp) has to offer. That should be fast enough for ordering parts, and if I let them load first, Youtube video's when I have to see how to fix/adapt something. It is mostly email now (no social media sites). I do think since we are in a larger country (size wise), our connectivity rate is going to require a higher payment to not use it. If one is in a smaller town, then getting something costs them a lot more locally, then someone in a big city or in area's where lots of cities are closer together (Europe). But that is just my opinion.

[tommyt654]

I have noticed a disconnect from a lot of friends and family because of the internet, funny as my daughters always ask why I didn't just send them an e-mail about stuff rather than call them. So its an intersting concept to me doing away with it,matter of fact I like talking to our friends more on the phone than simply typing(something I hate) and communicating via telephone gets my point across more so than with the net. I could do without it fine except for all the deals I see. So in theory is would or has saved me 10's of thosands of dollars over several yrs and made me a fair amount of money, For that I am grateful,but it is not a necessity in my life. Thats what friends and family are for