What tech couldn’t you live without?

August 6, 2006 By

Since we’re living mostly off the grid up in Montana (IE, not hooked up to the Internet) it’s an interesting thing to watch what people can’t do without.

Me? Email, my WordPress comments, and TechMeme were the first things to check.

But WTF is Dodgeball? Damn, everyone in my van is on that. Freaking cell phones were dinging every few minutes all the way here. Whhhheeeee, we know where Tantek is (he’s one of the top users in San Francisco of Dodgeball). We know what parties Eddie’s friends are at. Every single one of them. Very freaky. But very addictive. Especially on a long roadtrip where we’re jealous of those who are at the cool Wiki and WordPress conferences.

When I get back on the grid I’m signing up. Seems stupid but it was a lot of fun.

What caused me to write this? Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin are talking about the no-bullshiitake test for Web 2.0 technologies.

Mine? If you go off the grid and get nervous about missing it you know it’s bad.

Filed Under: 1
  • http://billhelm.livejournal.com/ Bill

    A whole group of my friends is using dodgeball here in Minneapolis and we all like it a lot. It helps us stay connected to what’s going on, and generally there’s always someone out and about to go hang out with.

  • http://billhelm.livejournal.com Bill

    A whole group of my friends is using dodgeball here in Minneapolis and we all like it a lot. It helps us stay connected to what’s going on, and generally there’s always someone out and about to go hang out with.

  • http://tantek.com/ Tantek

    Robert I have to warn you about joining Dodgeball, especially when you visit San Francisco. Just be prepared to party. :)

  • http://tantek.com/ Tantek

    Robert I have to warn you about joining Dodgeball, especially when you visit San Francisco. Just be prepared to party. :)

  • http://www.softwareandtools.com/ Tejas Patel

    For me it would be email, Techmeme and my Google Calendar.

  • http://glpelletier.wordpress.com/ Guy Pelletier

    Scoble,
    Just what is the longest you have been disconnected from the Net?
    I find anymore than 3 hours and I suffer

    Guy

  • http://www.softwareandtools.com Tejas Patel

    For me it would be email, Techmeme and my Google Calendar.

  • http://glpelletier.wordpress.com/ Guy Pelletier

    Scoble,
    Just what is the longest you have been disconnected from the Net?
    I find anymore than 3 hours and I suffer

    Guy

  • http://blog.guykawasaki.com/ Guy Kawasaki

    Robert,

    Do you want to do a “10 Questions with…” with me?

    See the ones I’ve done:

    http://blog.guykawasaki.com/ten_questions/index.html

    Please email me.

    Guy

  • http://blog.guykawasaki.com Guy Kawasaki

    Robert,

    Do you want to do a “10 Questions with…” with me?

    See the ones I’ve done:

    http://blog.guykawasaki.com/ten_questions/index.html

    Please email me.

    Guy

  • http://www.caseymckinnon.com Casey McKinnon

    Hope you have a great time at your mass sleepover in Montana… wish I could have made it and met up with everyone! As for what I couldn’t live without? Comments on my videoblog… they always feel like a reward after the hard work.

  • http://www.galacticast.com Casey McKinnon

    Hope you have a great time at your mass sleepover in Montana… wish I could have made it and met up with everyone! As for what I couldn’t live without? Comments on my videoblog… they always feel like a reward after the hard work.

  • http://52reviews.com/ Eric Allam

    Interesting, looks like dodgeball is owned by Google. Check out the bottom of the dodgeball homepage.

  • http://52reviews.com Eric Allam

    Interesting, looks like dodgeball is owned by Google. Check out the bottom of the dodgeball homepage.

  • http://www.it-eye.nl/weblog/ Andrej

    The thing i can’t live without on the net: http://www.windguru.cz/

  • http://www.it-eye.nl/weblog/ Andrej

    The thing i can’t live without on the net: http://www.windguru.cz/

  • Brian Lutz

    I spent a few hours “off the grid” myself this weekend (out in a spot on the Hood Canal where I got no signal on my phone) and I think the part I noticed is just how much I actually use the Internet as a reference tool on my EVDO-enabled PPC phone if I have it there. Someone has a question about something? Google it. Want to know what the score of the ballgame was? Pull up ESPN’s mobile site. Trying to figure out what the wait for the ferry to get back across is? Check the WSDOT site (when you hit a pocket of EVDO coverage, that is.) Get bored? Go catch up on some comment threads on a couple of blogs. And don’t even get started on e-mail (I’m pretty sure I know where the term “Crackberry” comes from now…) A few weeks back me, my Dad and my brothers took a roadtrip down to Salt Lake for the American Le Mans race, and when I wanted to figure out what our remaining distance, I pulled up driving directions while cruising down I-84 a bit past Pendleton. Especially once you’ve got a high speed data connection on your phone, it gets awfully tough to get off the grid in the first place.

  • Brian Lutz

    I spent a few hours “off the grid” myself this weekend (out in a spot on the Hood Canal where I got no signal on my phone) and I think the part I noticed is just how much I actually use the Internet as a reference tool on my EVDO-enabled PPC phone if I have it there. Someone has a question about something? Google it. Want to know what the score of the ballgame was? Pull up ESPN’s mobile site. Trying to figure out what the wait for the ferry to get back across is? Check the WSDOT site (when you hit a pocket of EVDO coverage, that is.) Get bored? Go catch up on some comment threads on a couple of blogs. And don’t even get started on e-mail (I’m pretty sure I know where the term “Crackberry” comes from now…) A few weeks back me, my Dad and my brothers took a roadtrip down to Salt Lake for the American Le Mans race, and when I wanted to figure out what our remaining distance, I pulled up driving directions while cruising down I-84 a bit past Pendleton. Especially once you’ve got a high speed data connection on your phone, it gets awfully tough to get off the grid in the first place.

  • http://www.andrehedetoft.com/geekporn André Hedetoft

    I could not live without electricity! :)

    André Hedetoft
    Movie-geek
    Blogging geek porn over at http://www.andrehedetoft.com/geekporn

  • http://www.andrehedetoft.com/geekporn André Hedetoft

    I could not live without electricity! :)

    André Hedetoft
    Movie-geek
    Blogging geek porn over at http://www.andrehedetoft.com/geekporn

  • http://www.guyswithtowels.com/ Tim

    “No one sends an idea unless:

    -snip-

    They believe that spreading it will enhance their power (reputation, income, friendships) or their peace of mind.”

    You know, not only is *that* 100% bullshiitake, but I seriously wonder about people who truly believe that about others. Are their brains wired up correctly?

    When people make blanket statements like that, they’re usually really saying “This is how I behave, and I can’t imagine anyone else does otherwise.” In terms of the behaviour described, the word sociopath springs to mind.

  • http://www.guyswithtowels.com Tim

    “No one sends an idea unless:

    -snip-

    They believe that spreading it will enhance their power (reputation, income, friendships) or their peace of mind.”

    You know, not only is *that* 100% bullshiitake, but I seriously wonder about people who truly believe that about others. Are their brains wired up correctly?

    When people make blanket statements like that, they’re usually really saying “This is how I behave, and I can’t imagine anyone else does otherwise.” In terms of the behaviour described, the word sociopath springs to mind.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Gosh, even ‘off the grid’ you are ‘off the planet’. Doncha have any non-geek friends or such? People who don’t break into hives when without a net connection?

    Ideas are dirt. Anyone can have an idea, it’s the IMPLEMENTATION that counts. Anyone in Hollywood can have an ‘idea’, but only the well-done script with serious backing of that ‘idea’, will make it, and then tons of external forces. Waxing on and on about ‘ideas’ is just geek mental masturbation; ideas aren’t worth a sneeze.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Gosh, even ‘off the grid’ you are ‘off the planet’. Doncha have any non-geek friends or such? People who don’t break into hives when without a net connection?

    Ideas are dirt. Anyone can have an idea, it’s the IMPLEMENTATION that counts. Anyone in Hollywood can have an ‘idea’, but only the well-done script with serious backing of that ‘idea’, will make it, and then tons of external forces. Waxing on and on about ‘ideas’ is just geek mental masturbation; ideas aren’t worth a sneeze.

  • LayZ

    what tech could I not live without? Electricity I guess first comes to mind. Waste and sewage disposal technology. Healthy food preparation technology. Then perhaps a telephone. Then maybe a radio. Then, oh I dunno, probably some medical technologies that I would want ot take advantage of. I know its probably heresy, but the technologies that people you hang around likely think of when asked this question, I could sure LIVE without having. Would it take some fun and enjoyment out of life? Sure. But I’m sure I would LIVE. You, Scoble? I have my doubts.

  • LayZ

    what tech could I not live without? Electricity I guess first comes to mind. Waste and sewage disposal technology. Healthy food preparation technology. Then perhaps a telephone. Then maybe a radio. Then, oh I dunno, probably some medical technologies that I would want ot take advantage of. I know its probably heresy, but the technologies that people you hang around likely think of when asked this question, I could sure LIVE without having. Would it take some fun and enjoyment out of life? Sure. But I’m sure I would LIVE. You, Scoble? I have my doubts.

  • http://www.livedigitally.com/?p=916 Jeremy Toeman

    Was off the grid a bunch this past month. So far I’ve gotten down to a single gadget, my digital camera. I do like to have both the cell phone and GPS (Nuvi 350) with me in the car until I get to my site/destination. I don’t think there’s any reason to get rid of the camera, as I don’t feel overwhelmingly connected with it at my hip. :)

  • http://www.livedigitally.com/?p=916 Jeremy Toeman

    Was off the grid a bunch this past month. So far I’ve gotten down to a single gadget, my digital camera. I do like to have both the cell phone and GPS (Nuvi 350) with me in the car until I get to my site/destination. I don’t think there’s any reason to get rid of the camera, as I don’t feel overwhelmingly connected with it at my hip. :)

  • LayZ

    BTW, Tim (@11) for President.

    Spot on, Tim!

  • LayZ

    BTW, Tim (@11) for President.

    Spot on, Tim!

  • http://internetnewsdaily.wordpress.com/ internetnewsdaily

    i think the picture of the guy in the upper left corner is apt for the explaination of dodgeball .

    Timothy Graf
    http://internetnewsdaily.wordpress.com/
    http://www.grafweb.com
    http://www.grafwebnetworks.com

  • http://internetnewsdaily.wordpress.com/ internetnewsdaily

    i think the picture of the guy in the upper left corner is apt for the explaination of dodgeball .

    Timothy Graf
    http://internetnewsdaily.wordpress.com/
    http://www.grafweb.com
    http://www.grafwebnetworks.com

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  • http://cyberrealtor.typepad.com/st_paul_real_estate/ Teresa Boardman

    I can’t stay off the grid at all. If someone took my blackberry away I would never be able to go on a vacation or even get in my car. I send emails from the car wash and surf the net while I am at a stop light. I use google during meetings and have a wikipedia book mark incase someone uses a big word that I don’t understand. Most of my friends live inside my blackberry. My family uses AIM to communicate with me while we are at home. (also available on my blackberry) Do you think I need help?

  • http://cyberrealtor.typepad.com/st_paul_real_estate/ Teresa Boardman

    I can’t stay off the grid at all. If someone took my blackberry away I would never be able to go on a vacation or even get in my car. I send emails from the car wash and surf the net while I am at a stop light. I use google during meetings and have a wikipedia book mark incase someone uses a big word that I don’t understand. Most of my friends live inside my blackberry. My family uses AIM to communicate with me while we are at home. (also available on my blackberry) Do you think I need help?

  • http://cyberrealtor.typepad.com/st_paul_real_estate/ Teresa Boardman

    I can’t stay off the grid at all. If someone took my blackberry away I would never be able to go on a vacation or even get in my car. I send emails from the car wash and surf the net while I am at stop lights. I use google during meetings and have a wikipedia book mark incase someone uses a big word that I don’t understand. Most of my friends live inside my blackberry. My family uses AIM to communicate with me while we are at home. (also available on my blackberry) Do you think I need help?

  • http://cyberrealtor.typepad.com/st_paul_real_estate/ Teresa Boardman

    I can’t stay off the grid at all. If someone took my blackberry away I would never be able to go on a vacation or even get in my car. I send emails from the car wash and surf the net while I am at stop lights. I use google during meetings and have a wikipedia book mark incase someone uses a big word that I don’t understand. Most of my friends live inside my blackberry. My family uses AIM to communicate with me while we are at home. (also available on my blackberry) Do you think I need help?