Dylan Kingsberry sent me one of those tag posts asking what I would do if the Internet crashed and never came back. I no longer participate in tag style posts because I get tagged too much. However, this one was thought provoking enough for me to write about. Here’s what I would do if the Internet crashed.
Start A New Business
Since my main source of income is from the Net, a crash would mean I’ll have to look at other means of making money. A job is completely out of the question (anyone who has read this post knows how I feel about working at a job). That means I would start another business. The business I start would have to meet my personal requirements. Many people think having your own business means freedom when it’s the complete opposite – most business owners are owned by their businesses. I have five key requirements a business must meet before investing it in. If the business doesn’t meet all five, I don’t touch it.
Find A New Hobby
The Internet is not just my business, it’s also my hobby. If it were gone, I would need to find a new one. I like doing many things but I’m not sure which hobby would become the predominate one. I have tried plane spotting but that was too boring. I guess I can always resume panda slaying.
Teach A Course In Entrepreneurship
I have always wanted to teach a course in business and entrepreneurship. If there was no Internet, I think this would be a very nice pastime. One of the reasons I enjoy updating this blog so much is because it brings together like-minded people. Teaching a course in entrepreneurship would do the same thing.
Travel The World
If the new business isn’t my hobby, I would put it on autopilot and then travel the world. I love traveling because it expands the mind. There are thousands of places and cultures to see. Staying in your own backyard for the rest of your life greatly limits your vision. To have a good life, you need three things.
- The ability to give and receive love.
- Something to hope for.
- Something to do.
For the majority of the world, that “something to do” is a job. Of all the things one can do in this world, why anyone would choose a job is beyond me. Many will say they have to work to make money. If you read this blog, then you know that is not the case.
If there was no more Internet, what would you be doing with your time? I’m not going to tag anyone. If you wish to answer the question, then please do.
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{ 46 comments }
Atleast you have a plan..lol..I don’t know what I would without the internet.
I would sure have a lot of free time.
Agreed
Jason
internet crashed? what a scary thought!
Please God, i beg you!
Long Live the Internet!
I would just write a book about the rise and fall of the internet and make a couple of million dollars.
Muahahahaha!
I would just carry on what I do with my regular job. I enjoy that and get to travel around Europe occasionally for work. The internet isnt a huge part of my life although I would feel a fairly large gap in my time.
That might as well be the end of the world…
Plane spotting or seta maybe far more viable if you move next to an air considering there are far more planes than panda.
Personally I would pursue athletics if the technology crashed.
Hard to imagine now. I would have to invent the internet.
Ha nice. If the internet crashed Id like to start up Internet 2.0 and charge high subscriber fees.
Good idea!
Ok for me The end of Internet is the end of the World
Local PC Servers FTW
Care to share your five requirements for investing in a business, John?
Yup, that’s exactly what I was thinking when reading that line.
Seriously, if the Internet crashed, the world wouldn’t know how to find information anymore. I mean seriously, I don’t even use a regular phone book anymore!
FT
I cant remember the last time I used a paper dictionary, encyclopedia, phone book, or thesaurus. Wow.
I would have to put on my Inventing Cap (no, it is NOT a thinking cap) and reinvent a series of globally connected computers through which information could be exchanged. I wonder what I should call it?
Jason
If the internet crash… perhaps peoples relationship will be better by leaps and bounds.
Crazyhamster
I don’t know what I’d do if the internet crashed!! Maybe start a buisness, like you said.
Will it likely to happen? Well i guess ure right. But i think if the internet crashes the world will go havoc.
If the Internet crash, then I will focus more on my work,
If the Internet crashed I’d have more time to pursue my goal of becoming the world champion of chess.
I would go back to my original country (Uruguay) and would teach business and technology skills to primary school children so that they can defend their own and their country’s interest in the world we live in.
I would invite all of you who have something to share to do the same.
Why primary school? Because it is early enough so that they’re not corrupted by the “you can’t do that” message…they think that they can do anything at that age. ANd in most cases, it is true.
Another reason is that they’re old enough to understand basic trading concepts. They’ve already been trading things for some time when they’re, say, 8 y.o.
Why in my country? Because my country gave me my primary education and it would be a nice way to give it back.
Also because children and parents in poorer countries have more difficulties and less support than developed world children.
Why me? Because not enough people do this. Most people who migrated make their millions, learn a lot, but never go back to help and rebuild their country.
Why teaching? Because it is much better than donations. Teaching is a passport to a better future.
Donations are like an umbrella made of pretty and shiny white salt. It looks great and make the person giving it to you feel good, but it won’t last and won’t stop the rain.
Regards
Javier
That’s very noble of you — to teach. I also thought about teaching; always wanted to be one since I was a little kid.
Would need to find some real job…like creating some real values you know?
Like build buildings people can live in, drugs which cure diseases, teach the less fortunate etc. etc.
i guess if the internet crashed..some genius out there will come up with another way to communicate/interact and access information..from necessity will sprout invention !!
Who knows, after reading John’s post someone might be slouched over some table somewhere, devising the next best thing to the Internet (oh God, I hope so).
I wonder how many businesses would survive if the Internet really did crash?
If and then…man aren’t we all tire of this ‘hypothetical’ hypothesis =?…
But if the internet were to crash, I would DEFINITELY find ways to create INTERNET 2.0
.
Hey John, thanks for responding, really wanted your perspective seeing as you are more successful then a lot of people and make more money on the internet.
Again thanks John, will read you soon.
Dylan
I haven’t thought that far and extreme before. Traveling would definitely be in the picture for me, locally and abroad. I believe that no one becomes destitute from the pleasures, learnings, and overwhelming joy of traveling. I’d also continue writing “old school” — write for magazines, broadsheets, television, maybe even write a book. You’ve just gotta have passion in anything and everything that you do.
What the hell is a tag post?
If you’re interested in traveling the world, there’s quite a vibrant travel blog community out there. And they’re not those “I did this today, I did that today” blogs. It’s like yours. It’s how to and advice oriented.
Check out http://www.trustedtravelblogs.com/ .
If it does happen that would put a dark cloud upon us. Good for you, you have a lot of choices but for me as I am just starting into this blogospher, I’ll just have to continue with my normal job.
I will travel the world
This reminds me of the eearthquake in Taiwan lol…the week are so boring and unproductive…hopefully those thing never happens again
Wan – Perniagaan Internet
Reading is a great hobby..before this, when i dont have any blog, i’ve just read,read and read..but nowadays.i’ve spent more time on my laptop and surfing the net..
How boring life would be if there’s no Internet around
Wan – Perniagaan Internet
It could be refreshing; besides, the Internet hasn’t been around that long (in terms of Earth years) and people who lived in a time without the Internet seemed to have survived.
I would try to recover it first
If fails, i would stick with other solution
The Internet is a communications network created by the US military to withstand nuclear attacks. If parts of the network were destroyed, information would be routed to other parts of the network until it reached it’s destination.
It would take a major nuclear war, or something worse, to destroy the Internet. If that happened, we would probably be living in a 19th Century level of technology and we would be growing corn and raising cattle to survive.
I hope you took lots of notes when you visited your farming family in Ontario.
That will be a chaos as stock markets, communication channel(VOIP), communities business will al suffer. It will be sending the world in an turmoil….John what did you do before 99,,,before you started doinng hardware reviews…you never had a job?
Interesting question…yeah, I’d like to know myself; what did you do before the Internet, John?
The net randomly dropping dead would be sad. I’ve come to enjoy the orgy of information exchange. ^_^
However, all wouldn’t be lost though. There’s always printed media, whether it be reading them or writing for them.
As for me, I’d still be gaming, whether it be PC, console, or paper and pencil gaming. And looking at what I’m doing now with my blog, I’d probably try to find a way to monetize it all. And since the death of the net would probably mean that Wizards of the Coast renews the D&D license to Paizo, I would probably try to get published in Dragon and/or Dungeon magazine.
The world will continue on without the Internet, I agree. There was a time when television was such the big high-tech invention. And before that, newspapers and books seemed to do alright. If the Internet did crash, it would be a pity, but the world won’t completely stop without it.
I think you’re right, but it might be a little less colorful world than we have now! And you’d never get to hear about John Chow! It would all be snail mailed again!
Not worth thinking about, I’d have to walk to the bank for a start
If the Internet crashed, then I’d be evil.
I’d build my own! And charge lots of money for people to access my systems!…
oh, wait someone did that… prodigiously.
Kenneth