Forget Shut Down Day, how about week :)

[Shredder]

Well, I didn't do too good on Saturday, so I made it a pact to try and go without the copmuter as much as possible all week.

I'd like to think I probably cut down computer use by 45%.  And considering I can literally spend 6 hours in front of a screen with very little break these days (nothing better to do), that's allot .

[Ninjara]

   LOL!!!  Ah, now you're talkin'.  A week.  That's a proper challenge.  One that even I would probably have a hard time doing.

   I don't find a day hard to do....or even two or three days without a computer.  Usually because I'm on the run and driving all the time more than anything else it seems.

   But a whole week without checking emails and visiting my favorite sites.....that would be a test.

[Michaelangelo]

No way would I play along with that one.  If I can't do a day, than no way can I even think of a week.

I went insane last night being away from having the internet so long.

[Danceingfae]

If you can get away with doing a week, Shredder, I give you kudo's. I won't even entertain that possibility. Right now I'm on the computer so little as it is because of things going on around me, I want to try to be on it when I get those small chances.

Let us know how your computer less week goes!

[moronqueen]

Eh...my recreational online time's been cut down a lot since getting this stupid office job, so I could probably pull it off if I wanted to, though. I'm not giving up any of my few outlets, though. 

[Raphael]

I've done 8+ days at least twice in the last two years. No...

oh wait...sorry...I had no internet for those periods, but I used the computer every night to download the daily vacation pics.

Never mind. Besides my 9-5 job requires the computer all day, so I'd have trouble going without.

[Phoenix]

No way I could do it. I'm required to use a computer and the net for work. Web Design can't be done without the web. lol

[Fugitoid]

Fortunately for me I was able to meet the challenge of Shutdown Day. Though it was quite easy since I ended up dragging my cousin to all the tourist places in the area.   However, there is no way I could not be without a computer for more than 2 days. And it's not because I'm addicted to the Internet or Freecell.   It's not even because of my job. If Shutdown Day taught me anything, it is that the computer is an essential tool for the modern way of life. I mean how often do you use a phonebook anymore? How up to date are the road maps in your car? If you even have road maps anymore. How many bills do you still have to use a stamp to pay? How about using a stamp for a freakin letter to someone? Heck, when is the last time you bought stamps?!? The realization of how amazing the computer and everything that has been born from it (i.e. the Internet) hit me hard that day. My cousin needed to buy plane tickets back home because she only got a one-way ticket to visit due to a couple of reasons. But no problem, you know the drill. Just check your favourite plane ticket website every once and a while and you'll find a good price eventually. But because of Shutdown Day I forced myself not to check all day. I kept thinking to myself, "I better not miss out on a good deal because of this!". And I didn't. And I still found a good price or a flight the day after.

Anyways, the point of Shutdown Day wasn't to gloat and say that you're better than someone else who just HAS to be on a computer. The point of Shutdown Day was to show that you don't HAVE to be on a computer all the time. To show that it is still possible to do something without a computer involved. Also, to show how the computer is quite possibly the most influential invention to mankind. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need for a Shutdown Day.

[Aignatius]

Egadz, I wouldn't go without for that long, not voluntarily. I need the word processor and the tablet for doing illustrations, and going on the net, of course.
Not unless I was camping and had some good books to read, and some interesting places to see.

[Danceingfae]

Even with camping and good books.. I think I would start having withdraws from the computer. Specially since it's a big way I talk to a lot of my friends. I can't call everyone on the phone so when I catch them online I'm really happy.

[Brinatello]

Well, look how we survived in the 80's!  The only time I used a computer then was to play this "Dungeon" game on my dad's ooooold 486 computer, or I soon started to mess around with CD-ROMS.  I didn't officially get online until 1999!

[Aignatius]

True, it's like electricity, you could do without it for a while, but then you really start to miss it. I did feel rather out of touch when I was away from 2 weeks camping last summer, but I did log on a few times from wifi spots, just to check in.

As far knowing what life was like before computers, oh, erm, yes.   
But ever since computers came on the scene, I've wanted one since the early 80s, when they started using them for computer animation and such. It's just that they were only for the wealthy and the techies at the time. In '92, had a second hand Commodore 64 I used to play on before my mother and I bought a Packard Bell with a 386 mHz processor, I got to go online for the first time, when AOL only had about 500K members. That was '93. Such a great thing, to meet people from all over and find others who *gasp* thought like me and had the same interests!? I wasn't so unique after all. 

[Shredder]

Before the computer, I thought I was the only star wars fan left...and the biggest one having memorized the movies.  Boy in hell, was I way off base .

My first computer was an Apple 2cPlus for Number Munchers only.  After that, we got one that wasn't upgraded untll sometime around 1998 I think, when we got our first CD drive.  I remember being so amazed by CD's as it was so much nicer than tape.  I also got my first TV Tuner then and have not been without one since.

DVD's came around 199, and I got one of those as well, and after that, I just kept on upgrading...my last Dell bought PC being around 2004...Since that time, I've been building them ..