You have been disconnec....

I used to maintain that if the lights went out and there was no more electricity I'd be perfectly happy doing without technology, but increasingly I'm thinking that this might not be true any more. To be sure I don't think I'd miss TV ("300 channels and nothing on") and I can probably manage without my phone (walking round to your friends after all is much better for you), but not having the ability to hook in to a global network of information isn't something you think you'd miss. But I do...

Most people that wear watches tend to realise that something is different if they forget to put it on. Then after a couple of days of forgetting it becomes minor thought, and after a couple of weeks they'd feel unusual if they did put one on. At the other end of the spectrum, people who have lost limbs report continuing sensations for years, even decades after the loss. You would have thought that a loss of connectivity would fall in the former category rather than the latter. But I would have to say that it doesn't.

It may be that I'm now so thoroughly indentured in a modern connected world that not being able to "reach" out on to the Internet is more akin to the loss of a limb than forgetting my watch. And curiously I'm not even talking about a total "disconnect" from the 'net I still have full speed access at work and whilst I'm mobile on my cell phone. It's merely in my home that I don't have a "proper" connection.

It has made me realise how much of my "personal life" is still spent online, not merely playing games but also as a tool for around the house. Having moved into a new flat which is nearer the shops, I've been doing a lot more cooking that previously, and was looking for clarifications about whether or not to boil the potatoes before putting them in the curry or not. Instinctively I thought to Google a curry recipe and it was only after I'd woken up my PC that I remembered that the flat is still disconnected.

The other fact that the "Great Disconnection" has highlighted is the actually difficulty in getting Internet access. This might not apply to all cities but in Glasgow, open WIFI points, whilst existing, are not usually located in places conducive to much surfing. In addition "cafe culture" hasn't totally caught on yet, and trying to find a location that a)provides a connection, that is b) at a reasonable price and c) is also suitable is rather difficult. Certainly in Glasgow, all the StarBucks are shut by 20:00, and some earlier. In fact the best option I've found so far is BeanScene, but I haven't yet been able to ascertain their times. They're also cheaper than Starbucks/T-Mobile's access at a mere £3 per hour. It still can be fairly said that the current provision is still for business people rather than the recreational surfer. It does make me yearn for municipal internet access (which some cities are attempting to do at the moment) but delivering a system that could support (potentially) the entirety of a city is daunting.

Oh and I threw the potatoes in the curry uncooked.