Poll: Which would you live without? TV or Internet?

[GT Bulmer]

I saw this question on a non-marketing site and decided to put it to our forum members:

If you had to choose one, which would you live without:

- TV (television)

- Internet

Take the Poll and also post your comments and/or reasons below.

GT

[Trent Brownrigg]

It's not even close for me... No thought needed... I would definitely live without TV before Internet!

[MichelleJ]

I am with Trent 100% on that. Couldn't think of living without the internet

MichelleJ

[GT Bulmer]

I haven't been a big TV fan for many years (especially since going online about a dozen years ago).

It would be a huge transition for me if I no longer had access to the Internet! I can't even imagine the withdrawal.

GT

[Mal Tindle]

Hi Evan,

I have to admit that I do enjoy TV but mostly for sport or educational programs. However, I can honestly say that since I went on the Internet, it has changed my life forever like it has for everyone around the world.

When I say it has changed my life, I don't mean it in a soppy way but just in everyday things like research, booking a holiday, shopping, renewing tax or driving license etc, all of which you can do online and that is before my Internet activities. Therefore I have to say in answer to the question, I would miss the TV but I would miss the Internet much more.

regards,

Mal.

[GT Bulmer]

In my first few years on the Internet I wasn't using it to it's best advantage. I was slow to use search engines and slow to do much of any research online (educational, shopping, etc.)

But every time I turned around, David Hurley was proclaiming the benefits of Google searches, and my spouse was always quick to go to the Internet first to find answers to things and to do product review searches, news searches, etc. So, between them, I started to smarten up and now the Internet is pretty much the first place I go for everything.

I wouldn't miss television programming at all (although I appreciate the TV set for the movie DVDs I watch).

GT

[David Hurley]

That wasn't difficult! I voted to live without TV. There's an ad on BBC World at the moment for a TV that gives you a high-quality Internet experience and I was only thinking today that I would prefer an Internet connection with a high quality TV experience!

[GT Bulmer]

Thanks, David.

My spouse needs a new computer monitor and last night in a store we looked at a cheap hdtv with Internet capability, built in DVD player and other computer-friendly features. She is going to research the brand, plus similar products from other companies before buying.

Her one reservation - she says - is a concern that if she gets a TV/monitor with DVD player, I might start hanging around her computer room too much to watch movies! ... And then she won't be able to do her own computer stuff.

GT

[David Hurley]

In my first few years on the Internet I wasn't using it to it's best advantage. I was slow to use search engines and slow to do much of any research online (educational, shopping, etc.)

But every time I turned around, David Hurley was proclaiming the benefits of Google searches, and my spouse was always quick to go to the Internet first to find answers to things and to do product review searches, news searches, etc. So, between them, I started to smarten up and now the Internet is pretty much the first place I go for everything.

I wouldn't miss television programming at all (although I appreciate the TV set for the movie DVDs I watch).

GT

Still preachin' Google!

1. Just today I was at a Japanese client's office talking about using English for email and blogging and she asked me if one of her emails went out without any errors. There were a couple of mistakes in her sentence and I showed her she could do a quick grammar check simply by pasting the phrase into Google and seeing what comes up!!

Of course, mistakes might appear as well in the search results, but up came lots of correct versions of the mangled phrase.

2. I often get asked if I can send a set of "English language rules" with the Japanese games I sell. Just today someone was asking for Shogi (Japanese chess) rules. My answer is to supply a link to the rules in English (usually Wikipedia in this case), but I am tempted to reply "Google it!"

It's amazing how many people STILL DON'T KNOW THAT!!! They probably spend too much time watching TV!

[GT Bulmer]

Great insight and examples, David! Thanks!

Here's a new "benefits of Internet (and Google)" story that is just hours old:

Last night, I plugged a brand new rechargeable electric shaver, fresh out of the package, into the charging unit . . . after carefully reading all of the (sparse) directions and instructions.

This morning, just a few hours ago now, while using the new shaver (and, I might add, it was working wonderfully) about a minute into the shave, the device exploded with a loud pop and a flash and fell into pieces into the sink!

Aside from a minor ringing in my left ear and my hand tingling a bit, I fortunately experienced no injury ... but it hurt my feelings because the shaver was working so well ... and now, I won't ever trust that brand again!

Here's the Internet/Google part of this story:

It was a cheap brand, made in China, that I bought on sale because I had been using the exact same one for the past two years and have very much liked it.

However, the package and inserts have no warranty information or manufacturer contact info. It says it was made in China and imported by a Canadian company.

My spouse went to Google to research the shaver and the Cdn importer. Not much on the shaver aside from a few consumer reviews, both positive and negative, but nothing about it exploding.

The importer, however, has a low Better Business Bureau rating and has not responded to complaints (it doesn't say which products the complaints related to).

The shaver in question is sold in Canadian Tire stores. (the shaver is listed as a Lanel Foil Shaver, but the packaging calls it a "Simplicity" shaver).

Our next step is to go to the store where it was purchased to see what they say about it, but it was cheap, so it's not the money that I'm concerned about, only the health hazard to other people (potential damage to the ear drum or to the eyes from flying parts).

But THE POINT here is, in a matter of minutes - thanks to the Internet and Google search - we learned a great deal about the shaver. We couldn't have got that info from the TV, and it could have taken us countless hours or days to get answers by telephone.

GT