The internet is down in the office. My productivity just came to a screeching halt.
The code I was writing in Visual Studio? Turns out I was connected to our development server’s database, so I can’t test my code without the Internet.
Check my email and work on that? I work in Gmail all day, and don’t have a way to access it offline. Without the internet, I don’t have any email.
Ask a co-worker if they have Internet? Not feasible. Google Chat is down when the Internet is out, so no instant messaging. Use my voice to ask? That’s just barbaric. Instead I’ll take off my headphones, I can’t reach Pandora anyway, and stare at the expensive brick in front of me.
Check Facebook or ESPN while I wait for the Internet to come back… oh wait. That’s on the internet too. I’d watch some TV while I wait, but I stream that through Hulu and Netflix.
No work, no email, no music, no diversions. What’s left? When did our lives become so dependent on the Internet? I’d go outside, but without weatherchannel.com, how will I know what it’s like out there? Should I risk life and limb and step outside unprepared? I think not.
I thought I’d write this blog, then I remembered that I use Google Docs, and those need online access too. It took some brainstorming, but I finally realized that I had Microsoft Word on my computer still and that I could type this blog up there. Whew, something I could accomplish.
I guess I could have used pen and paper, but I’m not even sure where I could find it!
Oh, wait. The internet is back! Sweet. Now I can post this blog and get back to work!
Aaron Brander is the VP of Technology for MINDSCAPE at Hanon McKendry.
