How can you afford it?

[how.about.another.slice]

After being away several months, I notice many of the same faces are still spending all day posting, despite their assurances that they work. One even spent a whole day waiting until 5.30 pm before posting just to prove she is employed!!! (only people unemployed or on benefits for years would assume the average work day is still from Nine-to-Five LOL!)

My question is, how do you afford to be here so much? Do you live off savings, an inheritance, divorce settlement, or do you simply chat from a library or a second hand notebook on limited internet usage?

To get a decent computer costs at least $2000 and without good internet connection, chatting on a forum isn't even worth it, so are these regulars going into debt over the boards? Would a bank even loan or credit them enough to supplement their activites and time usage here?

It's all very puzzling...

[*crikey*mate*]

my kid is doing an advanced engineering degree in mechatronics and nanotechnology. his computer is a second hand lap top that cost $300 (including P&H)

it seems to work just fine, and i'm pretty sure that it'd work just fine on internet forums as well.

[nevillesdaughter]

I sometimes think we (including myself) need reminding that the best computer/telephone/car/appliance/television/whatever  is the one that does everything YOU need it to do, as opposed to eveything that CAN be done.

My children think I have a problem because all I want my mobile phone to do is make and receive phone calls, and do the very occassional bit of internet banking for when I am caught off guard by an unexpected bargain!

I contacted my phone's manufacturer and my service carrier recently, to find out how to disable messaging (text and voice), because I don't use my mobile daily and worry about people thinking they have left me a message which I may not see for a fortnight. I am not a luddite, but I carry a mobile for my convenience, not as a camera, social tool, amusement tool, or anything else. Both places told me that this is not possible (I don't believe that for a moment - it's obviosly about revenue). So I said, then the only reliable way I can prevent messages is to tell people I don't have a mobile? Both organisations actively tried to discourage me from taking this action! Wonder why....

I am not making any judgment about people who do want all the functions, but whatever happened to "optional extras"?

I know this is all a little off topic, but my point is that we often pay for things we don't want or need, and may never use.

Cheers,

Marina.

I'm not insane, and I have the psychiatric reports to prove it.....

[azureline**]

I do have text messages on my phone.. and I disabled the voice mail box.

Same at home.

I do need to be contactable for business, grandchild duty and father in law though.

[chuk_77]

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@azureline** wrote:

I do have text messages on my phone.. and I disabled the voice mail box.

Same at home.

I do need to be contactable for business, grandchild duty and father in law though.

---

same no voice mail here, but texting i do more than talking

[monman12]

ND: " I sometimes think we (including myself) need reminding that the best computer/telephone/car/appliance/television/w

hatever  is the one that does everything YOU need it to do, as opposed to eveything that CAN be done."

I wonder if those who "blindly" assert they must have FTH NBN realise that?  I have never spent more than $300 on a computer (complete) in some 30 years, and run 2 desktops, as I have never been a fan of laptops.

nɥºɾ

[poddster]

I very much doubt that they do realize John.

I would venture to say the a large percentage of those who assert the need for FTTH NBN do not have a clue as to what their needs are even :). Let alone even comprenending what they are being conned into demanding.

[i-once-was-bump]

I was thinking of buying a new computer this week and it is about $379 and I can see it doing me just fine for at least 8 - 10 years.

I only have 12 gb a month for the internet and have never gone anywhere near using that yet I can post here as much as I want at a speed that is fast enough.

[cherry*135]

I disagree with poddster and monman re the NBN. Those are two peoples views (how many people in each of their households?) only..they can't speak for the rest of Australians

As this thread is supposedly about affordability of being online, the NBN is much cheaper than exisiting options in areas where there is no ADSL2.

[freddie*rooster]

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@poddster wrote:

I very much doubt that they do realize John.

I would venture to say the a large percentage of those who assert the need for FTTH NBN do not have a clue as to what their needs are even :). Let alone even comprenending what they are being conned into demanding.

---

What you are inferring is, we are all complete fools, but you and monman are of a superior intellect? careful you don't fall off that pedestal.

[i-once-was-bump]

I have the NBN but don't have it.

They installed it several weeks ago but only put it in the upstairs units because they would have to drill through the fire proofing to get it to the down stairs units and the other mistake is that they have put it on the outside wall of where the shower recess is located so they have to work out how to get it from there around the corner and up to near the back wall of the bedroom and then try to run it through a brick cavity wall but it will take the removal of some internal bricks to get it into the longeroom.

Telstra sent out a great offer for changing over and lots of freebies but the offer had to be accepted by the 29th September.

Oh well, lucky I didn't really want it.