The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: ElleFiji on September 16, 2018, 08:32:19 PM
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In a moment of ill health, Carry Telecom, providers of cheap, barely adequate internet service and horrific customer service called last week to give less than a months notice to cancel my service. And offer me a more expensive (on par with quality provider pricing) special deal.
I declined.
Now I'm deciding if I want home internet. And if I don't, what do I need to modify?
If I decline new internet... I can set an autoresponder in my email that I am a slow responder. I can also put a self righteous mindfulness internet use statement in my online branding to avoid negative effects there.
I can have email and my calendar update at work, and go to public wifi to work or update on days off.
I can answer email offline and it will send when I connect.
But I think that will mean accelerating the purchase of a new laptop. Or can I usb key everything from my desktop to a library computer?
Desktop computer is noticeably but not urgently ageing. I predict 6 months till I start saying I replace her and 6 months till she gives the fuck up. Desktop computer also plays DVDs... Possibly I would need to scour the Kijiji for a tv dvd something? Desktop computer also runs calibre. I love calibre.
I am enamoured of dating fuck off to society's insistence y home internet
What do I need in devices that I will be able to
-lightly blog/market/make ecourses (can write all from the offline world)
-watch DVDs from the library or download from the interwebs to watch later
-email
-ecalendar
-write recreationally
-transfer content to my phone if needed
-use calibre to load library books onto my beloved kindle
-other than fucking around on my phone being lazy....can you think of functions I'm missing?
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You and I have some similar elements in our lives (self-employment, disability concerns, etc) so although you aren't rural, some of this might be relevant. I had only intermittent service for three years previous to my newest life. That was not ideal, but okay.
I implemented workarounds:
*type stuff (onto laptop, yes) then take laptop to internet and hit send on everything
*ensure regular backups of work, because the cloud won't be doing that stuff
*yes, let people know I had slow response time to all forms of messages
*ensure laptop has DVD/CD drive, or get external one (lots of new ones don't have one)
*excellent noise-cancelling earphones for internetting in public places
*if privacy is a concern (e.g. confidential client stuff), something to make your screen more private -lots of coffee shops, libraries, etc, have seating arranged such that your screen is visible to all; I don't like that
Some places it was trickier, making me glad I have great service again:
*being on hold - I didn't have cell minutes for that; internet allows the up-to-two-hours some businesses need to answer
*when sick/injured: lying on a rec centre hall floor to send out my work sucked; having no contact with ppl sucked
*emergency-type services: since I also had little to no cell reception, sporadic internet was an important aspect of the plan
*managing all communications: I hate when ppl talk on phones in shared spaces, so I generally don't do it. I find it very helpful to have internet in a place where I can talk on a phone, while accessing documents, websites, my calendar, etc, all at the same time. Ditto when child's supports insist on doing video calls.
In your situation, I might label home-internet a near need.
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I've always wondered about possibly paying a neighbour (who has unlimited data with their home internet) for their wifi password. Do people do this?
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People do. There've been heated debates on this forum about it. It's against many service contracts.
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I think....worst case scenario, I will just suck it up and buy internet in a few months if I give in. Jooni- sick days were a definite concern.
I do have unlimited calling and texting. But sometimes internet internet is cool.
I'm also considering a post it note on the apart door next to me. We don't know names...but we do pet each others' escapee cats. So we're basically friends, yes?
I don't have emotional energy for MORE things.
Looking online, all the cool minimalists give up internet and it makes them cooler. So that's also an option.