I'm moving into my girlfriends house in a couple of weeks and we are getting the place ready. My girlfriend knows i play games and spend alot of time on the computer. As a result we are getting the internet installed and setup before i move in.

Total cost of getting everything setup is just under $500.. its $300 for phone line installation. Out near mt crosby we can only get ADSL1 so getting the 8000/300 plan with iinet.

My GF jokes about how i wouldnt move in if we didnt have solid internet and yeah.. i probably wouldnt. To check whether im crazy or not i asked some people at work and other friends. One guy said 'if you take a mans internet away you take away his freedom'.

I've had access to the internet and games from a pretty young age. I would say its become a pretty big part of my life. If i didnt have the internet at home it would take me a long while to re-adjust and find other hobbies. I have recently got back into CS and have a LAN team who are looking to compete again.

1. How important is the internet to you? Could you go without it easily when living at home.

2. If you are in a relationship and play games, have you had to work through any problems / have dedicated playing times?

I know for a fact that I wouldn't live anywhere without the net. Since I got my first net connection I have never been without one because it serves so many purposes. Hell I have lived for the past 2 years pretty much without Tv and it really doesn't bother me as long as I have the net.

screw being without technology & information!@# even though i don't play many games these days or browse much, i wouldn't wanna be without the internets!@# i'd sooner go without a tv & a phone than be without internets.

I'll sometimes start up the computer without the turning on the modem (we turn it off when not using) to do something quick and end up clicking on Safari and be disappointed so even when I do something without needing the internet, I subconsciously end up clicking my browser icon anyway...

What really, really s***s me is share-house hunting and seeing "wireless internet" and/or "foxtel" in the ads. That 95% of the time implies low-quota Telstra ADSL/cable via a flaky misconfigured WiFi connection. Rules out doing anything useful on the connection: gaming, downloading, etc.

I also look at the pics in the ads to see if they have a ghetto blaster as their main music source, as well as if they have a really old TV instead of an LCD or plasma (even a tiny cheap LCD is ok) as it implies a tech-clueless house.

Might seem like my priorities are wrong, but hey .. man needs his tech!

how are you supposed to pay your rent without an internet connection?

lol asking an internet forum about gaming if they like the internet

I spent 6 months in a dialup only block of units a few years ago, they lied about adsl and there is nothing you can do to check, a part from talking to neighbours.

Mrs wouldn't be happy back on dialup eiter, you are better off without net

Things might be different if those wireless plans where any good, but they aren't

1. How important is the internet to you? Could you go without it easily when living at home.

An interesting question. The first thing I do in the morning is turn on my computer (net is always on) and get updated. I don't play games, but all my social connections are maintained online (yes, I know them all irl), as well as uni, work, and pretty much every other aspect of my life.

I do however enjoy visiting my parents and not having the internet for a few days. This being said, I am about to go from having internet since I was 9, to nothing, and I'm a little scared about going cold turkey! I head overseas tomorrow, and the only technology I will have with me is an ipod touch, for a year. I honestly don't believe that our reliance on internet these days is a bad thing, but I'm interested to see how I handle life without it.

On the games note, I have several friends whose relationships have taken a bad turn because of over-gaming. However, I'd say unless you got into the relationship before the gaming started, you can't be expected to change that much, just need to learn a bit of balance (or get your partner involved in the gaming scene!)

1. How important is the internet to you? Could you go without it easily when living at home.

Both my husband and I have had the internet in our lives from a very young age. This also means it has also become an addiction. We find ourselves in front of the computer for no real purpose, but purely out of habit. Hubby is in IT and needs to remote connect to all of his clients, therefore internet is a must. We both agree that if he wasn't in IT, the internet would be gone. It takes up far too much of our time - simply because it does. It's very difficult to explain.

2. If you are in a relationship and play games, have you had to work through any problems / have dedicated playing times?

We have children, so our situation is a little different. Kids are in bed by 7:30. So once they are in bed all that I need is for the kitchen to be clean after dinner and the clothes for the next day to be clean. Even if hubby just stands in the kitchen and talks to me while I wash up I am happy. If he picks up that laptop before the kids are in bed and while the kitchen is still messy from dinner the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
After all of that is done most nights we watch tv, however some nights he gets sick of the boring and mundane and runs off to tinker in his shed or arcade room. Saturday night I he spent from about 8 until 1am in his games room working on a project. It sucked but it didn't kill me. It does depend on your girlfriend and what she is okay with.

If he came home each night and just ignore me all night, there would be trouble.

When you enter a relationship there needs to be compromise. I watch crap tv and he nerds it up on his latop next to me. As long as he lets me know he plans on running away into his arcade/geek room for the night so I don't sit around board expecting him to finish soon, it's all good. Communication

last edited by Kat at 13:33:11 17/Nov/08

Couldn't live without it - I need to keep my porn collection refreshed on a 72hr cycle otherwise it just doesn't maintain its excitement.

I'd struggle to get by without it, just been using it for so long it's an every day part of my life. Although I really don't spend that much time on it, I rarely play games, mainly use it for banking, news, product/service research stuff and QGL.

However when we go away on Holidays etc I don't miss it at all, probably due to a different environment and different things to do etc.

Yeah pretty much first thing i do after a leak is get online and check the usual sites for whats happening in the world. Its a bit like the old Reading the morning paper thing.
Ive had to move house a few times in the last 4 years and every time im without the net i dont really turn the computer on.
The net is just like having your power connected or having a phone.
Its an Essential thing now.

I would not live somewhere without at least ADSL1.

I need it for work so I couldn't live without it. Things like internet banking / online purchases are also just too convenient.

Couldn't survive without it for uni alone.

I dont *need*.
I want.
And as such, wouldn't live somewhere without.

It's extreamly useful for Banking, Movie Times, Organising mates (4wd Outings (Forum), Water Skiing (Email), hell even nights out (facebook)) and heaps of other things.

As for gameing, it's about finding a balance... and a chick thats not too needy.
Some think you should be together every waking moment you're not at work, others are happy to let you have your free time. The trick is, get her into playing the same games. Then you can spend time together AND play games. Win Win.

Yes.

When i moved house about 6 years ago i didn't have the internet for a month or so and it sucked. But at that time i was using IRC (shoutout to any irc.uq users) all the time to chat with friends.

These days i work on a computer all day and need the internet to find ways to code things. I also check all my webcomics and sites like QGL all day.

As for at home, i don't really use my computer that much and same with the net. I download my weekly Linux ISO's and watch them on my media box and do the odd search on my PC but thats about it.

If i could get my ISO's easily from someone each week i think i could survive without the Internet.

Saying that though, i am a very curious person and when i don't know something, it bugs me majorly until i find out the answer. Not having the net at hand to find out in seconds would torment me. Luckily i have my iPhone to do the regular quick search so that would solve that problem.

So in conclusion, i could probably live without Internet at home, as long as i had something like the iPhone where i could easily do Google searches to answer those nagging questions in my head.

I also use the Internet to answer questions with heaps of words instead of just saying "i probably could".

we run our lives via the internets, so yes, we need it;

besides, i do all my reading and most of my communcation on the net

I could drop the internet for recreation pretty quickly if needed. After 15 years online (seriously, wtf!) it has gotten pretty old.

Work, bill payment, etc is another matter.

Lived without for 35 years and ony with the net the last 13 years. Can easily live without it.

Never miss the net when I go away on holidays and I never take a net connectable device other than my mobile phone and I never ever use the net on it personally or professionally anytime.

I mainly use the net at home for work, the news, weather and researching something that interests me at the time, like boats and fishing and places to go, things to maybe buy (I rarely buy anything off the net). I just about never visit hardware or software web sites anymore, only if I really really have to for work or I'm buying a new PC related item for something that broke, not becuase it's the latest new gadget.

If we wanted to know something before the internet we would either go to the library (no problem there), buy a magazine or book devoted to the topic (no problem there), ring or talk to someone who knew the topic (no problem there) or used our imagination (no problem there).

Before the Internet we would go outside from the crack of dawn and not be seen till lunch and then piss off again after lunch and not be seen till tea. Now I see my 14 year old son and his 2 younger sisters more time than not and have to use a crowbar under their arses to lever them out of their chairs in front of the PC to get them to go outside, even to just get some bloody Vitamin D. Their biggest excuse is "what's there to do out there". FFS use your IMAGINATION, visit a friend instead of talking to him on the net. If they live too far away get closer friends FFS and don;t go over there just to sit in front of their computer. You don't have to have a friend that lives 30,000 klms away in friggin Rednecksville Kentucky, you can live without him.

In my opinion if you can't LIVE without the net there's something wrong with ya. Use it as a tool - absolutely fine by me, but to live your life by it so that without it you can't cope is not what I call a LIFE in the first place.

1. How important is the internet to you? Could you go without it easily when living at home.

Yes very important for me both socially and work wise. I need net connectivity for my work and obviously for social aspect of it.

2. If you are in a relationship and play games, have you had to work through any problems / have dedicated playing times?

Can't answer that one as I don't play games (though I am in a long term relationship). I supposed for some couples this poses a huge problem.

If my gf told me to wind back on the games I would tell her to step off.

then go buy her tampons like the bitch you are

rofl reow!!

Awsome comments guys / girls very interesting.

I could imagine how gaming would be a problem in some relationships. My GF is very open minded though and happy to give me space.

I totally understand the standing in the kitchen thing too Kat.. something i will definatley adopt :)

all you f***ing pussies who cant live without the net.

Yea, I don't really mind if the bf's playing games. Usually pretty happy to just be in the same room. When it's uni time it's really good, because if I'm at his and he wants to play games, it forces me to do something else, so I normally get some study done while he's playing. I've started playing games now too tho, so it's fun that I can now play games with him as well

i think that you guys would all be affected the most if i were to lose internets, as you wouldnt be able to get my awesome life advice

last edited by Spook at 15:31:46 17/Nov/08

like do you vacuum carpet with or without the brush - heavy stuff

Dont need it as i am a truck driver/ storeman now , but i would like to have it to play a few games and download stuff.

I download my weekly Linux ISO's and watch them on my media box

How does one watch a Linux ISO?

Its like saying "Hmm, I might watch the Windows Setup Disc today!".

Pls explain:

The internet is a valuable social tool.

Me and the gf just got back from japan and used the internet almost everyday to write a travel log which we emailed off. I think without the internet, you still would need all of its functions, but you would have to use different methods. Ie get the news from newspapers, make more telephone calls, and send mail via the post.

as for internet at home, i probably couldn't live without it as my primary hobby is playing the games online.

as for the girlfriend and gaming, I think its all about balance. You need to spend time relaxing and enjoying yourself. You need to spend time with friends. You need to spend time with your girlfriend. if you're doing too much of any of those things your doing it wrong. You are are a nerd if you spend too much time on your hobby (whether its playing games, model trains, rollerskating, whittling). Your a drunkard if you spend too much time at bars with your mates. And your whipped if you spend every waking minute with the GF.

I have, imo, a pretty sweet little setup at home that i like to refer to as the 'fragatorium', and when i go in there to have a bit of me time the gf will watch/ is already watching some sex and the city repeats, gilmore girls or something of the like.

if i am spending too much time in the fragatorium she'll let me know though - and fair enough.

haha, spook gots burnt!

While I don't exactly know what a Linux ISO is, I was thinking the same thing.

like do you vacuum carpet with or without the brush - heavy stuff

haha, pwned

anyone can live without the internet... just like anyone can live without electricity supply... but in this day n age.. why the f*** would ya?

protip : some ppl may state 'linux iso' when they actually mean 'downloaded movie' to avoid admitting to juarez.

For me the internet is invaluable when coding and probably a lot of coders can agree.

But other than that, the only real uses of the internet for me are facebook/myspace, qgl and supertorrentslinuxisos :P

Fixed

last edited by 3dee at 16:21:00 17/Nov/08

Ok gotcha. Wink wink (in a non-gay way).

my wife told me the other day that i don't play enough computer games.

serious.

people to get xmas cards this year from spook
joanna
mission
troggles
kat
existence
pave

last edited by Spook at 16:22:22 17/Nov/08

:'(

Linux iso is code for something, only the cool kids know, and I'm not telling you.

edit, dammit demon, now everyone will know.

last edited by `ViPER` at 16:23:37 17/Nov/08

is that what you call her now hardware?

I still call my hand mrs palmer.. :P

haha 3dee you've missed the "linux iso" reference.

Your wife is way cool, send her a hi5 from me, or some other form of approval.

Lets put it this way...

Yesterday when the storm was explodinating s*** and the power was fluctuating I turned the PCs off and used my iphone to browse the internet.

I would be severely inconvenienced without an internet connection.

1) Its the main mode of communication with my mates, generally see if they are online first, if not then call.

2) Paying bills online ftw, going somewhere to pay a bill would and did suck... I am old enough to have experienced that lameness.

3) Buying stuff online also ftw, s*** just turns up at your door a few days later

4) It keeps me entertained in many ways, Being able to watch what I want when I choose to is brilliant. The sooner the TV stations embrace it the better. Until then I will continue watching *cough* channel BT *cough*

My GF is very open minded though and happy to give me space.

How open minded?

if shes hawt jakey, we should hook up for some "open minded activities"

team spook is down

LOL.. sharing is caring?

will do infi, will do

I know for a fact that I wouldn't live anywhere without the net. Since I got my first net connection I have never been without one because it serves so many purposes. Hell I have lived for the past 2 years pretty much without Tv and it really doesn't bother me as long as I have the net.

same here.

you say:

I use the internet to bank, read qgl, msn, facebook, eBay, career research/applications, self development and download all the latest 'movie trailers, shareware, Linux iso's, and to stream free music stations' ;p and not to mention VOIP as _every_ call we make now is long distance.

all i'm hearing is

i use the internet for porn.

what are you a Mormon going on a mission? (if you hadve said 2 years i would've been more sure with my assumption).. or are you going to a s*** country with no interwebs?

No, but I am going to work on a ski resort in the middle of the rockies away from internet cafes, so I won't be able to maintain my usual 24/7 internet communications.

How does one watch a Linux ISO?

There are several ways, take your pick:

http://i36.tinypic.com/2a94eo6.png http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~boldajis/images/lin2.jpg

At the age of 7 i moved from the western suburbs of Sydney to a town with a population of 300 people, i instantly became an outcast as i found it impossible to get my foot in the door with the other country kids who had basically grown up together since birth. So when i got my first PC at the age of 12 and found a game called Clusterball (was ranked #5 in the world lol..) and later CS, i started spending more and more time playing.

That was 11 years ago and with the exception of a 2 year round the world trip and the first year of my first serious relationship, ive probably used the interent on average 4 hours a day since. Even at the end of my travelling i was spending 2+ hours a day online playing facebook poker..

Realisticly i am addicted, i justify it as a hobby and something i generally enjoy doing.

My girlfriend is the exact opposite, she hates the fact that i would prefer to play games than do a lot of other things. Ultimately its one of the factors contributing to the demise of our relationship of 3 years, there are other factors as well which i think contribute more so but deffinatly gaming is one of them.

At the end of the day i dont think i would sacrifice what i enjoy for it.

So now we have decided on a one month break and already im planning my next PC and deciding what games im going to buy lol.

Sad and pathetic, yes maybe but what do you do?

slag away...

Kill yourself.

But then i wouldnt be able to play cod4? unless they have it in heaven...

im pretty sure its just q2ctf in heaven

2. If you are in a relationship and play games, have you had to work through any problems / have dedicated playing times?

I don't play games so that's not the problem, its when i spend anytime on the pc at all - so now i just wait for her to go to sleep and stay on the pc until midnight to 1am, then get moody every morning when i'm un-necessarily woken up at 6am and go to worked pissed off and tired (@ 8:25am). Luckily for me also she works most weekends, so i get the entire weekend to myself.

So grow some balls and break up. It seems like it will be doing both of you a favour.

im pretty sure its just q2ctf in heaven

qft

Total cost of getting everything setup is just under $500.. its $300 for phone line installation. Out near mt crosby we can only get ADSL1 so getting the 8000/300 plan with iinet.

if you're renting you can claim that $300 back
I argued with my landlord that because a tech had to come out to install a phone line, they should have to pay the $300

a phone line falls under some necessary service that every person is entitled too
it works the other way too though, I paid it for my tenants so it kind of evened out

also, no - I would rather live without TV/xbox/ps3/etc than internets

Yeah I would have thought most houses already have a phone line...

if it hasnt been used in a long while telstra can disconnect it at the exchange/pabx or wherever, to free up more copper for other peeps

so they have to send someone out to reconnect it at the pit/exchange/pabx etc etc
= $300 charge, not the tenants problem

Could be a previous tenant that disconnected it, ie: Naked DSL.. like me.. HAH BAM, sucks to be whoever moves in next!

Ahh good advice but.. my GF has her own house about 200m away from parents house (on same property).

With the landlord charging me $25 a week im more than happy to get it all up and running :>

(living out of home but not FTW).

I don't need it anywhere near as much as I like to use it =]