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On the other hand, if we had started years ago regularly arbitrarily shut down the internet for a day, as apparently Syria does, we probably wouldn't have come

On the other hand, if we had started years ago regularly arbitrarily shut down the internet for a day, as apparently Syria does, we probably wouldn't have come to rely on the internet for so much basic infrastructure. I doubt buying gas is down in Syria when they shut down the internet. It's not realistic to think that could have happened in the USA, but it's interesting to think about. As a software engineer who knows how unreliable and vulnerable our software infrastructure is, I don't love how much of society is dependent upon it.

jrochkind1 5y ago
(and the other piece is, I doubt the US government has the ability to easily "shut down the internet" for a day -- at least I hope they don't, although they might, they shouldn't, and if they do it shouldn't be easy or expected. Cause they would definitely use that ability for nefarious ends).
marcosdumay 5y ago
> On the other hand, if we had started years ago regularly arbitrarily shut down the internet for a day, as apparently Syria does, we probably wouldn't have come to rely on the internet for so much basic infrastructure. The question then is, is that a good thing? I'd bet on "no". Right, people on Syria get to know how to buy gas on a no-internet day, but they also have to maintain that knowledge and infrastructure every other day of the year.
- jrochkind1 5y ago
  I think the internet probably isn't involved in their gas-buying much on most days. Rather than buying gas differently on no-internet days. We bought gas fine before the internet, and I don't think the internet has seriously improved our gas-buying experience, and yet...
  - ghaff 5y ago
    I assume the credit card readers communicate over the Internet in some manner. The gas prices at the pumps are set over some sort of network though it may be local. You might be surprised how much communication there was between branch stores and HQ going back decades though before probably some point in the 90s it may have been over phone lines.

jrochkind1 5y ago

(and the other piece is, I doubt the US government has the ability to easily "shut down the internet" for a day -- at least I hope they don't, although they might, they shouldn't, and if they do it shouldn't be easy or expected. Cause they would definitely use that ability for nefarious ends).

marcosdumay 5y ago

> On the other hand, if we had started years ago regularly arbitrarily shut down the internet for a day, as apparently Syria does, we probably wouldn't have come to rely on the internet for so much basic infrastructure. The question then is, is that a good thing? I'd bet on "no". Right, people on Syria get to know how to buy gas on a no-internet day, but they also have to maintain that knowledge and infrastructure every other day of the year.

jrochkind1 5y ago
I think the internet probably isn't involved in their gas-buying much on most days. Rather than buying gas differently on no-internet days. We bought gas fine before the internet, and I don't think the internet has seriously improved our gas-buying experience, and yet...
- ghaff 5y ago
  I assume the credit card readers communicate over the Internet in some manner. The gas prices at the pumps are set over some sort of network though it may be local. You might be surprised how much communication there was between branch stores and HQ going back decades though before probably some point in the 90s it may have been over phone lines.