Shutdown Day

BlanchPrez · Post by **BlanchPrez** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:48 am

It is obvious that people would find life extremely difficult without computers, maybe even impossible. If they disappeared for just one day, would we be able to cope?

Be a part of one of the biggest global experiments ever to take place on the internet. The idea behind the experiment is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if we all participate!

Shutdown your computer on this day and find out! Can you survive for 24 hours without your computer?

I'm not sure yet if I'm going to participate in this, but it being a weekend, I could probably do this easily.

Chris

mordraine · Post by **mordraine** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:18 am

They should expand it to include cell phones and iPods.

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:00 am

I guess my big question is 'why'?

BlanchPrez · Post by **BlanchPrez** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:06 am

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~I guess my big question is 'why'?[/quote]

~~[quote="Shutdown.org"]~~What is the purpose of the experiment?

The purpose is to get people to think about how their lives have changed with the increasing use of the home computer, how society is changing and whether or not any good things are being lost because of this. It is obvious that computers are an extremely important and vital part of society these days.

Quoted by Michael Taylor, Shutdown Day co-founder:

â€œI certainly could not and would not want to live without my computer. However, I am often drawn into spending hours chatting on MSN, simply because my friends are online instead of socialising face to face. I am often too busy to cook a proper dinner, because I want to see the latest news on digg.com, the latest YouTube video or to see who has commented on my MySpace. I know parents who are so addicted to the computer they spend little time with their children and I also know children who do not spend time with their parents because they are always using the computer.

This is not necessarily wrong, shutdownday.org is not against the use of computers, but it would be nice to take time off for one day, to reflect and remember the other things in life that maybe we sometimes forget because we have come accustomed to a life dominated by our computer. It is unquestionably easier to do this on a day when everyone else is also signing off instant messengers and chat rooms, etc.

We are not preaching to anyone to turn off their computers, just suggesting that people might like to take part in this experiment, and see what happens. See if people think differently after a day without their computer...â€

Hence the idea for Shutdown Day. [/quote]

Chris

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:09 am

I think maybe those people need to turn off their computers.

BlanchPrez · Post by **BlanchPrez** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:47 am

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~I think maybe those people need to turn off their computers.[/quote]

And thus Shutdown day. :razz:

Chris

Wintermute · Post by **Wintermute** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:42 pm

Screw that. :)

Dragonkin · Post by **Dragonkin** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:40 pm

Junkies! We're all JUNKIEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:55 pm

saturday and sunday are my usual shutdown days. so yeah. experiment, here i come.

smartmonkey · Post by **smartmonkey** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:08 pm

I'm sort've an Infovore. Turning off my computer would kind've be like putting a plant in a dark room.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:24 pm

Move it to monday and I'm in.

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:07 pm

~~[quote="mordraine"]~~They should expand it to include cell phones and iPods.[/quote]
they should expand it to include mouths.

devlin1 · Post by **devlin1** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:10 pm

And ears.

I just spent me a few days on a cruise ship, and while I did cave on Saturday and use the computer center to check my email (for the low, low price of $13.50!), I was otherwise pretty tech-free. It was fucking awful.

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:16 pm

~~[quote="devlin1"]~~And ears.

I just spent me a few days on a cruise ship, and while I did cave on Saturday and use the computer center to check my email (for the low, low price of $13.50!), I was otherwise pretty tech-free. ~~[i]~~It was fucking awful.[/i][/quote]

I don't know, last time I went on a cruise it was for two weeks and I didn't even check email while I was gone. Now this could be simply because I was always going on excursions, eating too much, drinking way too much, or any combo of the aforementioned..... Anyway i never missed it...now last October when we went to Puerto Vallarta for a week at an all-inclusive resort, I took my laptop and used it at least once a day...but only in the room (couldn't see the screen outside: too much sunlight!). So looking back over what I just wrote it would seem that i have truely added nothing to this discussion so I'm going to stop now....:screwy:

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:34 am

Tangent: Last time I went on a cruise it was to Alaska and I did not use a computer or the internet. Used the hell outta my Digital Camera and really had a good time watching whales jump around the boat. Of course this was the start of the end to my diet because I found out I could order food at 3:34 at night to my room. Fuck yeah I ordered a French Onion soup that late at night with a double cheese burger.

All I gotta say is that if we ever really want to do a cool RPG meet up place...a cruise would be the optimal kick anus idea. We could get a group rate or something. We could all play till our eyes bleed.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:09 am

~~[quote="devlin1"]~~And ears.

I just spent me a few days on a cruise ship, and while I did cave on Saturday and use the computer center to check my email (for the low, low price of $13.50!), I was otherwise pretty tech-free. ~~[i]~~It was fucking awful.[/i][/quote]

I had the same experience, except I was cheap and didn't pay for the access time. I just suffered through it. Luckily, I had a Game Boy Advanced, so the four days (two days to Kiribati and back) at sea I spent beating a video game.

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:48 am

~~[quote="Skyman"]~~All I gotta say is that if we ever really want to do a cool RPG meet up place...a cruise would be the optimal kick anus idea. We could get a group rate or something. We could all play till our eyes bleed.[/quote]that idea is inspired. someone get on that.

mordraine · Post by **mordraine** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:57 am

An rpg-sandiego cruise would surely kick much ass. Seems like it'd be prohibitively expensive though. Whatta those things run anyway?

Also, I would just like to add - charging for wireless internet is ticky-tacky and cheap-ass. It's not like they're already getting $$$ from the cruise prices, or hotel charges, as the case may be. Most hotels offer it for free nowadays, but for instance the place we were staying for GenCon charged something like $10 a night for access. It irritates me.

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:12 am

~~[quote="jimmy corrigan"]~~they should expand it to include mouths.[/quote]

At this point, I would become interested.

BlanchPrez · Post by **BlanchPrez** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:14 am

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~At this point, I would become interested.[/quote]

National Shut Your Mouth Day? We should start a website. :P

Chris

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:55 am

~~[quote="Skyman"]~~All I gotta say is that if we ever really want to do a cool RPG meet up place...a cruise would be the optimal kick anus idea. We could get a group rate or something. We could all play till our eyes bleed.[/quote]

Wow... that's a gaming event I could get Michelle to go on.

Cruises aren't insanely expensive considering you are paying for food, transportation and lodging all at once. Michelle and I paid about $1000 per person for a 10 day cruise that took us around Hawaii and to Kiribati. A shorter cruise. like one down to Mexico or South America, would be cheaper .

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:00 am

I sort of can't even feature paying that kind of money to sit around and game. Cruises are a lost notion on me, in general, though. I would rather go where I'm going and then be there, rather than being in a big floating hotel that frequently carries disease and old people.

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:24 am

~~[quote="Count Zero"]~~... I paid about $1000 per person for a 10 day cruise...[/quote]and i'm out.

still, cool idea.

devlin1 · Post by **devlin1** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:43 am

~~[quote="jimmy corrigan"]~~and i'm out.

still, cool idea.[/quote]
Well, there's no need to do such a long cruise. The one Jill and I were just on was only three days--Miami to Nassau and back. Still, if you're going to be on a cruise, I'd think that most people would rather do something other than game. Not me, of course, but most people.

On a related note, I was introduced to D&D on a cruise to Alaska when I was a kid.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:43 am

2-3 day mexico cruises are around $300 last time I checked, and presumably cheaper if we got some kind of group rate.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:32 am

~~[quote="Cthulhu"]~~2-3 day mexico cruises are around $300 last time I checked, and presumably cheaper if we got some kind of group rate.[/quote]

Which is more what I was thinking. A 10 day cruise is expensive and insanely long. I will never take a cruise that long again. It was just way too long. I was going stir crazy by the end.

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:57 am

~~[quote="Count Zero"]~~Which is more what I was thinking. A 10 day cruise is expensive and insanely long. I will never take a cruise that long again. It was just way too long. I was going stir crazy by the end.[/quote]

The last cruise I took was two weeks from Florida through the West Indies and on to Brazil and then a thousand miles down the Amazon River. There were 4 days of only ocean (two at first and two from Tobaggo to the Amazon), the rest of the time we were in port or dropped anchor along the Amazon. Bored was never a choice. On the ocean days (which if you just stare out at it, you ~~[u]~~will[/u] go crazy) were spent catching up on my reading, eating, going to wine tastings, eating and drinking, making new friends, and drinking with the new friends..

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:17 pm

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~I sort of can't even feature paying that kind of money to sit around and game. Cruises are a lost notion on me, in general, though. I would rather go where I'm going and then be there, rather than being in a big floating hotel that frequently carries disease and old people.[/quote]

That was my EXACT thoughts before I went to Alaska... Now I just flat out recommend it. Some fun stuff I thought were cool. The free movie theater(I saw that Clint Eastwood Boxing flick), the midnight desert extravaganza of chocolate in every form imaginable, pool, spa, the bar & grill next to the pool and spa, parties for everything possible(Newlyweds, Singles, Gay singles, Mixers), massages, the gym, a game area, gambling, port excursions and just lounging. They also have tennis courts, volley ball courts and more. It's like super silly but it's for folks who really do not wish to worry about anything while they travel and want to be catered to. Opwunder is right about them having a lot of activities. The excursions were really cool.

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:45 pm

I can sort of see the appeal in anything that involves that much dessert, to be honest.

Vacations are sort of a luxury I don't get much of, but in my daydreams, I'm somewhere sketchy in an offroad vehicle with a foreign language to English dictionary, a laptop, and booze, 'cos that's all that's safe to drink.

In my other vacation daydream, I'm sitting somewhere in Germany with a beer, because it's Germany.

That's what I wanna do.

Wintermute · Post by **Wintermute** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:25 pm

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~I can sort of see the appeal in anything that involves that much dessert, to be honest.
[/quote]

~~[img]~~http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/OcotilloWellsTruck.jpg[/img]

Oh wait... you said des~~[b]~~s[/b]ert.

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:26 pm

That's actually what Skyman said, I guess.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:29 pm

It might be what I said but it looks more like this time ten....oh yeah Baby!

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:41 pm

I would like to combine these two concepts. Desssert, perhaps.

Wintermute · Post by **Wintermute** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:28 pm

~~[quote="Neuro"]~~I would like to combine these two concepts. Desssert, perhaps.[/quote]

Brilliant!

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:49 pm

~~[quote="Wintermute"]~~Brilliant![/quote]

~~[img]~~http://www.doesthecirclehold.com/wp-content/guinnessB11.jpg[/img]

~~[SIZE="6"]~~Brilliant!!![/SIZE]

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:32 am

If you like the concept of everything being catered and not having to woory about a thing while on vacation you should try an all-inclusive resort. One price includes not only your suite but all the food and drinks and tips. They also usually throw in a free full body massage, manicure, pedicure, and a couple of excursions...all included. And it's not that expensive. My wife and I spent eight days and seven nights in Puerto Vallarta for $1900.00...that's for both of us. The room had its own jacuzzi and bar (that was restocked every am). We are going to do it again this year in Cancun!

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:49 am

~~[quote="opwunder"]~~If you like the concept of everything being catered and not having to woory about a thing while on vacation you should try an all-inclusive resort. One price includes not only your suite but all the food and drinks and tips. They also usually throw in a free full body massage, manicure, pedicure, and a couple of excursions...all included. And it's not that expensive. My wife and I spent eight days and seven nights in Puerto Vallarta for $1900.00...that's for both of us. The room had its own jacuzzi and bar (that was restocked every am). We are going to do it again this year in Cancun![/quote]

Hmm... that sounds like a good deal there.