Ask HN: What would you do if there was no Internet?

by niico on 9/14/2010, 2:46 AM with 17 comments

Tought question?

Actually, my main interest is to know what you guys do while not coding or hacking the world.

For instance, I'm a volunteer firefighter and enjoy doing any kind of sports.

  • by runjake on 9/14/2010, 4:21 PM

    Write more code, visit more BBSes, garden more.

    As I get older (late 30s), I'm finding Internet culture more alien and less appealing to my demographic, so I've been spending less and less time on it.

    Outside of work, I'm looking at about 5 minutes per day, unless I'm online gaming, but then its just to game, not chat with other players. I read a lot of online articles (Wired Danger Room++), I scan through feeds, find an article and Instapaper them for offline reading.

    I don't feel like I'm really missing anything. Any information important enough will eventually get to me.

  • by AmberShah on 9/14/2010, 3:21 PM

    Life would go on.

    I'd spend more time with my son. Pretty sad, but true.

  • by nitefly on 9/15/2010, 1:47 AM

    Reading, rock climbing, enjoying the outdoors, getting exercise, spending time with my family.

    If there were no Internet because the Internet didn't exist, the world would be very different and maybe I'd have stuck around school for another degree helping people dream it up. :)

    If there were no Internet because I were stranded somewhere with no Internet, I'd find a way to get the hell out of there.

  • by jawngee on 9/14/2010, 3:12 AM

    Writing or photography.

  • by vyrotek on 9/14/2010, 4:39 AM

    Crap, can I borrow someone's hobby?

  • by oziumjinx on 9/14/2010, 4:26 PM

    Tour guide for white water rafting or mountain biking somewhere around the Grand Canyon

  • by greatfog on 9/14/2010, 7:02 PM

    If there were no internet, I would subscribe to magazines and visit the library.

  • by alexiocowabunga on 9/14/2010, 2:13 PM

    Maybe I would actually start getting some serious work done

  • by onan_barbarian on 9/14/2010, 2:59 AM

    Back to magazines.

  • by owkaye on 9/15/2010, 2:55 AM

    Do more boat designing, building and sailing.

  • by pascalchristian on 9/14/2010, 9:04 PM

    Complain, then call my ISP repeatedly :P

  • by MisterWebz on 9/14/2010, 10:57 AM

    Philosophy and sports.

  • by abalashov on 9/14/2010, 7:23 AM

    Philosophy.

  • by fezzl on 9/18/2010, 8:48 AM

    Invent it.

  • by rick_2047 on 9/14/2010, 10:43 AM

    Even though if there would have been no internet it won't effect my discipline (electrical engineering) directly, I wouldn't be this smart. I would have been an average kid succumbing to peer pressure and taking up the hottest discipline I can get from my <insert standardized test name here> score.

  • by stiggz on 9/14/2010, 4:01 PM

    Invent the internet.