The other night I came home to no Internet. It appeared I could not get an IP address from my ISP. (un-geekly written: Internet had a booboo). I wanted to call the provider to tell them I was down, to make sure they were investigating, however I realized to do this I needed access to their website where their phone numbers were…
I was going to call my parents to catch up with them, but my VoIP phone needs Internet…
I wanted to write this blog entry, but… etc.
We are surrounded by Internet so much these days, that it is seemingly becoming almost a necessity of life. I tried calling an embassy the other day for information and their telephone line directed me to the website that contained the phone number I used to call them; very helpful.
While 84% of households in Canada and 74% in the USA had Internet in 2008, that is still beat by 90% of Iceland and 86% of Norway (like there is anything else to do in those countries anyway).
What else on this planet is as ubiquitous as the Internet? What else reaches so many generations and so many business verticals? Maybe driving? It is estimated that under 200 million Americans drive, so what’s that, 60%? That comes close. But then again, I have driven only a dozen times in 3 years. Which would you rather go without your car or your Internet?
With the web becoming more and more mobile, being connected is not only becoming easier, but it is becoming more inescapable. A new technology called MiFi is being advertised now in the USA. BUY THIS STOCK! This technology will be wanted by anyone who travels anywhere, ever! But this just goes to show how much we crave the Internet. We now have what is essentially a portable router to carry around so we never have to be disconnected anywhere a cellphone works, which these days is pretty much everywhere, except maybe anywhere North of Toronto or West of Thunder Bay. 
The CEO of Google recently gave a speech to a group of University graduates where he told them to turn off their computers! And how rightfully so, except 5 years from now he’ll have to amend his statement to “Turn off your cellphones, toasters, coffee mugs, and iEngagementRings” in order for people to truly be disconnected.