I've spent months without electricity, been homeless, lived in an old broken house as achild, stayed in shelters.
I've heard people say things like:
"I can't live without my cellphone."
"I need my internet."
"I have to have my microwave"
The list goes on.

What you need to survive is: food, water, air, protection from the elements. These are basic animal needs.
Political society was developed due to interaction, the same applies to the economic societies.

But, we here in western civilization- let's add Japan to that- have become more dependent upon our creations and less upon our creativity.


Before you argue with this, be sure you have been in the same or worse situations than me.

Not taking things too seriously is great. Some people live without it.

One of the many thing I use my computer for is managing bank accounts and paying bills, I do that online because you still get a late fee if the mail looses your bill or payment. That's one thing I can't be without a computer for.
Apply for a job lately? All the places I've ever applied to you enter your resume and work history on a web site. I suppose you could get by with a flash drive and library computer but to own/rent a home and pay your utilities reliably its almost a necessity.

It seems like this thread was started to lament false dependence on technology. More broadly, are mass-marketed gadgets really advancing mankind and solving more problems than they create?

(I dunno. I just work here.)

No problem, as long as I have my gp2x, I can live without a computer for a while.

Oh, and what exactly are you saying, that we should give up on computers and go back to the old ways ? That would be a grave error. You obviously have no idea how powerful and useful computers are.

I choose to interpret the OP as simply asking "What would you do if you had nothing?" As in no computer, no TV, no roof over your head, absolutely nothing. The only things you might have are the clothes on your back and whatever happens to be in your pockets at the time (provided your pants have pockets at all).

Had a holiday recently in remote areas of Tasmania with the inlaws. Had my netbook with me but no wireless at all for the whole time. Was surprised how much I missed it (and how much those man pages got thrashed - /usr/share/doc who ever knew!?)

For some, like myself, recreation and work can blur into one. If you took the computer away from me I reckon that guitar in the corner might get a new lease on life

Rob people that have things and then I'd no longer have nothing.

I'd get a job...

To answer the OP's question, to be honest I don't know how long I'd last if I had nothing, but I could probably go without a computer for a good while.

As a matter of fact, I remember back some time when I was living with my dad in Oregon, my machine's monitor had gone bad (the LCD matrix still worked, but the backlight wasn't working), and at the time I very specifically wanted to have a 4:3 squarish monitor (at the time I thought widescreen monitors were evil because they made older games/other full-screen programs look odd due to horizontal stretching. I think differently now ), but the stores no longer carry standard aspect monitors in the store. I had to order one online, and it took a good few weeks to get there, so I was basically without my own computer for that time. I didn't bother trying to use the other computers (my dad's and his new wife's; he got re-married) mostly because of younger step-siblings constantly wanting to play games.

Granted, I know this is far from being stranded in the middle of the rubble that used to be your house, but it was a little inconvenient (but not painful).

My laptop runs really hot. It is on my lap now, keeping me warm.

I managed without a computer for 58 years, so I reckon I could do without one again. It's only a hobby, nothing important.

Amen to that brianL, and BTW enine:

Never had a problem with the snail mail, and it still works. Believe it or not, there are still plenty of luddites out there who insist on it. Ever deal with a lawyer or the legal system? And darn it: it is "loses" not "looses"....

and there are still many jobs that are only obtainable by telephone and letter, with an on site interview if you're selected.

Mr Bisquit: I hope things are better for you now, and that those of us who are fortunate enough to have every gratification met remember those who have actual needs and help them.

As for the rest, flippant remarks about getting a job or robbing people won't do much if you've got broken bones and not much else in Haiti right now. Shame on you.

mostlyharmless: Spare me.

Oh, and what will ? Money ? How sure are you that you really know what is going on there, and that your money is being put to good use ?

PS. You guys are great trolls, just like me, it's so hard to stop posting here, I wish I could stop...