The internet has now become a much less reliable fixture of our life.
My early thoughts are mostly positive. I have quickly entered a personal phase of reflection, which feels much overdue.
@SimonWoods I wouldn't say it's become less reliable, rather has become more pervasive. It has—still does—allowed us to accomplish a great deal, and we do rely on its capabilities for many things. Therein lies the problem, however; at what cost? The internet has shaped much of modern society and communication, but it has also driven negativity, anxiety, and consumerism to unprecedented levels. I'm by no means suggesting we pull out all the ethernet cables and call it a day, but we definitely need to pursue more intentionality with how we use it, and what we allow into our attention.
@pimoore @SimonWoods in my view, the internet is moving to the same place as computers. It is becoming more "plumbing" and less a destination. We don't spend time here or interact with it or play with it-- it's silently the tool that is making everything work. I think that's good.
@jsonbecker @simonwoods I very much agree with this. Unsurprisingly, in many locales internet access is being treated with the same importance as hydro and electricity—an essential service. Your "plumbing" analogy is spot on.
@pimoore @jsonbecker I failed to apply proper context and still the thread is a good one — awesome :)
Hopefully to clarify; "our life" = my family. To further fill in the gaps, and to agree with Jason's reply; I meant internet coverage, the literal plumbing part, and since so much of the negative parts of the web involve hoovering up your bandwidth a less reliable connection has acted only to encourage me further away from those places.
This is one of the reasons I've been happy to see the Micro.blog timeline developed with a careful and considered approach. Bloat is discriminatory towards people who aren't drowning in coverage, and a rotten trick for those who have constant and easy access.
@SimonWoods @jsonbecker Wow, you're right about the serendipitous way the thread still worked out—quite beautifully despite the different context. Couldn't agree more; far too much of the internet is downright painful for those with less than stellar bandwidth. It's the primary reason why the push to bring fibre to rural areas is paramount, and should never have taken as long as it has.