Are you “On the Grid”

[michaelskis]

In the movie the Bone Identity & Supremacy the character was completely off the grid. No phone, no driver’s license, no credit cards, no bills, no real physical proof of existence beyond his location at any given time.

Then there are most Americans who use a credit or debit card everywhere they go, have emergency GPS locaters in their cell phones, have enough ID cards to fill a wallet, trackers on cars, and are locatable just about every moment of the day. We have multiple e-mail accounts, on-line identities, accounts at several different places, and we are just short of having a GPS locator chip in our heads.

How on the Grid are you? If someone needed to get a hold of you are you just a phone call away? What about an e-mail. Additionally at what point to “modern convinces” become a short leash?

[Maister]

In the movie the Bone Identity & Supremacy.....

must...not...make....joke.....about....Mskis.....movie....viewing.....preferences....

[JNA]

How on the Grid are you?

If you are not on the grid, is that the same being a "neo-luddite" ?
or just not into the trendy consumerism of having the newest, flashy toys ?

[gicarto]

I have the most basic cell-phone model available with no internet.

[michaelskis]

must...not...make....joke.....about....Mskis.....movie....viewing.....preferences....

Doh.... it won't let me edit it. Get your mind out of the gutter you sicko!

If you are not on the grid, is that the same being a "neo-luddite" ?
or just not into the trendy consumerism of having the newest, flashy toys ?

You could still have a rotary dial phone at your house and be on the grid. Like everything else in life, it is one On or Off, but a scale based on your dependence on technology based communication/ interaction.

A person could have no cell phone but use a debit card for everything under the sun and still be as much on the grid as someone with a crackberry.

[JNA]

Like everything else in life, it is one On or Off, but a scale based on your dependence on technology based communication/ interaction.

What does this scale look like ?

[donk]

with all of the typos and double posts in this thread, mski's must be on dial up from a commodore 64. that would qualify as not being on the grid.

He must still be waiting for that picture from 1993 to download.

[Michele Zone]

Let me just clarify for one second:

You are asking people via computer if they are "on the grid"? Is that right?






MZ, addicted to my computer and checkcard like crack cocaine, but rarely watch TV, no cell phone, no answering machine.

EDIT: No microwave oven either.

[Richmond Jake]

Let’s see: running water, electricity, two water heaters, debit card, credit card, driver's license, home buyer, camera/cell phone (no land line), cable TV, digital camera, high-speed internet access, three e-mail addresses (one at work, two at home)….guess that puts me squarely on the grid.

[JNA]

Here is my scale for the grid:

Phone: no cell, message machine, caller id
TV: no vcr, dvd, tivo, satellite - can you say rabbit ears?
PDA: no
Pager: had one when I was a Volunteer Fireman
Radio: yes - 4 types (boom box, weather, computer, city scanning)
GPS/On-Star: no
Debit Card: no
Credit Card: yes, frequent flyer
Computer: yes w/cable modem, 2 e-mail addresses (home & work)
Games: no
Camera: manual slr film

So I am reaching but not clearly there yet.

[SkeLeton]

Well I have a basic cellphone (allows me to talk and send text messages), and I rarely use it, or get calls there; 3 e-mail addresses, which don't get much e-mails (besides spam and other unsolicited messages from uni to my uni email), online identities... I think I have 2 or 3, no more. I have broadband, a credit card that I only use for groceries (in Santiago), and that's pretty much it.

If you're so worried about being always available... build yourself a Faraday cage and live in there.

[michaelskis]

with all of the typos and double posts in this thread, mski's must be on dial up from a commodore 64. that would qualify as not being on the grid.

He must still be waiting for that picture from 1993 to download.

Smoke signals converted into a digital format by a weather balloon. Damn wind…

and it is from 1990 not 93'

[Michele Zone]

Smoke signals converted into a digital format by a weather balloon. Damn wind…

and it is from 1990 not 93'

In other words, "Michaelskis" is really the nom de guerre of one John Connor, son of Sarah Connor, destined to save humanity when our machines finally take over the world and try to exterminate us.

[Jeff]

My middle name is "Grid"

[Mud Princess]

No PDA, no pager, thank God. To me that stuff is too much like a ball and chain.

I refused to get a cell phone until a few months ago, when I broke down and purchased a Tracfone to carry with me while traveling. So far I've only had to use it twice. It only has 90 minutes on it. Why pay for monthly cell phone service?

I've never really understood the whole cell phone phenomenon anyway. I don't really like talking on the phone much as it is; why would I want to chat while I'm driving or at a restaurant or something???

[Bear Up North]

This Bear.....

Cell phone.....nope. I will pick up a Trac Phone, for emergencies. Just haven't gotten a "round tuit".
PC.....obviously, the answer is yes.
Internet.....work and at home.
Pager.....never had one, never will.
Radio.....regular table top (next to bed) and shortwave.
Debit card.....nope.
PDA.....nope.
GPS.....nope.
Horn on my 12-speed Miyata bike.....nope (I use a sports whistle)
Beer.....yep, in the 'fridge.

Bear

[noottamevas]

The only way I could be more on the grid is to have a chip implanted under my skin.

[safege]

On my local newspaper on-line forum, we are having a running argument on gas taxes being replaced by milage taxes. They say it violates privacy and will never get past the courts, and I say that the GPS, radar, and black boxes are a tenth of what they cost a year ago, and many of the new cars already have GPS.

[Coragus]

Want to know how on the grid you are? Google yourself. Even though I carry two cell phones, have two e-mail addresses, have my name on several public documents, and belong to several groups, I'm still impressed at how accessable I am.

[Zoning Goddess]

I have a cell phone, a few email accounts, and a landline. What pisses me off is when I'm told to give the boss my private cell number. heck, get me a county phone and I'll give you the number. Not one I'm paying for.

I consider myself reasonably private, I don't answer the phone during dinner or when I don't want to be disturbed, after all, I'm paying for it. NO Blackberry for me.

[Michele Zone]

Want to know how on the grid you are? Google yourself. Even though I carry two cell phones, have two e-mail addresses, have my name on several public documents, and belong to several groups, I'm still impressed at how accessable I am.

I've done this before and just now repeated it. When I google my first name, my last name, I come up with nothing about me.

When I google some of the names I go by online, I do get hits. And, jesus, that's a horrible photo of me on Yahoo 360 degrees. I forgot I made one of those pages. Feh.

[kjel]

The only way I could be more on the grid is to have a chip implanted under my skin.

Me too...glad I'm not the only one. A friend and I were discussing how we ever used to live before we got to this point and we both shook our heads remembering what it was like.

[imaplanner]

I have never used a computer.

Although seriously, I used to live in an area where people where very proud to be off the grid. These people were very centered and happy. In some ways I was jealous of them. Of course they cant hold a candle to my awesome mp3, camera, video, internet phone

[noottamevas]

Want to know how on the grid you are? Google yourself.

10 pages on Pearcy Weasly before you get to me

[zman]

Reading recent volumes about the philosophy of technology and the root of what makes people inherently unhappy, I have become ever-wanting to get off the grid. Especially yesterday when I got a virtual sales pitch for the i-Phone from a coworker. (Here husband invest a bunch in Apple I guess.... )

LIke I had dropped in the RTDNTOTO v2.0;

Connection breeds disconnection...

Yes, Cynics, I am well aware I am writing on a lap top over the wire service to say these things... DONT bring it...


One might have to ask, is it possible to be OFF the grid these days?