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Do we rely too much on technology? At the Post Office most of the mail is sorted by machine. If the machines break down, the mail stops. A major power outage is an economic disaster.

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Relying too much is not bad, but it's taking it for granted which is what we do, that is bad. Look at the blackout for example, nobody knew what to do for dinner because microwaves and ovens did not work. We live thinking it will never go out or be unavailable but the reality is, technology can stop very fast.

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I think relying on technology is fine, as long as you have a contingency plan. We cannot forget how to live without technology, becuase technology stands upon a fragile base.

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manadren wrote: I think relying on technology is fine, as long as you have a contingency plan. We cannot forget how to live without technology, becuase technology stands upon a fragile base.

Is this even possible, to have a contingency plan? If all the computers in America stopped working, what could businesses possibly do? I think we already have forgotten how to live without technology.

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Yeah like Y2K that was the big thing. I did not know anything about computers back then, but I could not understand why some date would make computers stop working. Now I understand it had to do with the bios clock, but what i don't get is why they never just changed the clock to test it. And just because a computer's clock stops working does not mean the PC itself is caput. And some computer failing won't stop a 500 ton turbine from spinning or cause a 60 acre nuclear power plant halting production. The Y2K people were worried for nothing that's for sure.

For extremly important data it's a must to have a non electronic backup, since you need to be prepared for anything such as a EMP or explosion etc... I somewhat keep important business stuff on paper but don't, though I've considered printing out done sales to keep in a file, makes income tax that much easier too.

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Y2K is an interesting subtopic of this thread. I have a friend who stocked up food supplies in anticipation of food shortages. Anybody have any Y2K stories? The basis for the fear was faulty, but the effects on society if a majority of computers stopped functioning did seem scary. In a nuclear power plant, what if the computer that stopped was the one controling the safety systems? I don't think we need to limit technology just to computers either. We have so many convenient gadgets that we barely need to leave our sofas to live our lives. I have watched a TV show called Pioneer House where they put present-day people with the same tools and animals that the pioneers would have had and let them live that way for six months. The people really struggled with it, but I'm not so sure it accurately depicted what the pioneers went through as much as it depicted how wimpy present-day people are.

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Bookworm wrote:

manadren wrote: I think relying on technology is fine, as long as you have a contingency plan. We cannot forget how to live without technology, becuase technology stands upon a fragile base.

Is this even possible, to have a contingency plan? If all the computers in America stopped working, what could businesses possibly do? I think we already have forgotten how to live without technology.

You make a good point, but I was thinking about more basic needs. Like say, we can't forget how to make food when the microwave isn't working. Indeed if all our technology failed us today, our society would crumble, but as long as people survive, a new society can be formed.

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Bookworm: They still do trading and business stuff the old fashion way, with paper, chalk, and chalkboard.

I think this is an interesting question. I do believe we rely too heavily on technology, but in a sense it has always been that way. 2000 years ago the technology was less, but the percentage of people who knew how to work the highest levels of technology was the same. I think there have been periods in human history where we have been more knowledgeable as a society, where everyone has been 'go getters'. In general, people are lazy, how many people know how their car works? It's really not that hard, just hard work learning it. How about your housing? Or your diet even? I don't know, it seems people just keep getting lazier and lazier with how much they are satisfied with knowing.

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Yeah allot of technology is making us lazy as well. Instead of finding a book, we just go on the internet. Instead of walking a block to go get bread at the corner store, we take the car, and probably come back with fast food and realize we got the bread for nothing.

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On the plus side, our life expectancy would not be as high as it is without the advances in medical technology. So even though we get fat and lazy, we still get to live longer.

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