# Internet down across U.S. and Canada



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Recent events in North Korea started me thinking: what would happen if the internet went dark in North America? I know, I know, the net is expressly designed to prevent such a system-wide failure. But so is the electric grid, and we have had widespread failures there more than once. Who knows what nature or a determined hacker is capable of.

Putting aside the very serious effect on banking and industry, how would it affect me, personally? Well, I get almost all of the news that I can trust across the net these days. A lot of entertainment. Personal contact with family and friends. Some shopping. My life would change, perhaps not in ways that would be catastrophic. But I'm older and have lived without the net most of my life. I think it would be traumatic for some younger people. 

How about you?


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Betting many young people would need medical help. I would be very busy in my job and would be called in right away. To much of our economic life is controled/managed on the net. many would not be able to get to work mass transit would go down.


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

The impact would depend on how long the outage was. Just as a short outage of electricity can be weathered, so could a short outage of the Internet. The longer it lasted the more people would need to resort to workarounds and the more business would suffer.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Personally, not too dependent on the net, would have to buy stamps instead of e banking to pay bills. Would miss the forums though.


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

Would be an inconvenience but redundant systems are in place.


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

You're looking at it from a personal perspective. What happens to Amazon? Would your local grocery store be able to process transactions?


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## Mish (Nov 5, 2013)

I, for the most part, would only be out some entertainment. I do all my reading and shopping online. The worst part is I might have to start using a damn paper map again!!!! OMG!! I can't live without Google Maps!!!
Kidding aside, I would probably become a much more productive person without the internet. I don't ever want to see it go but I would be fine without it.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

I can see people calling 911 because their net flix is out. School teachers not being able to down load porn at work . It would get nasty quick. We often forget how much people use their smart phones on line a large part of the day.
90% of records and daily reports are done on line much of this information is required to keep the system up and running. We have lost the ability to go manual as we once could.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

The problem would be in logistics. An example is that many grocery stores use an automatic inventory system that as items are paid for at the cash register the items are checked off on their inventory and when their supply is getting low it orders more of the items. Automatic payments are made to the suppliers, and the items are delivered. I think that allot of businesses do things in a similar manner. It may take a while for adjustments by the business owners to manually inventory and order items, and pay by check or cash.


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

The idiots will cry and showout at first. The wise will already be ok. The businesses that matter will fall back to the old way or close. I really think it wouldnt be that big of a deal. 

It just isnt as woven in as energy yet.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

There is a thing called just-in-time inventory control. Most manufacturing plants use it nowadays. We use it to make tires at my work. Last year the company upgraded their computer programs and something screwed up the inventory. Nobody noticed the problem until we ran out of material to make the sidewalls. Plant was down for days while the logistics people scrambled to get enough in to start work again. Many thousands of tires were lost over that one little hiccup. Now imagine no Internet nationwide. The places using just in time will be in trouble quick. Grocery stores and pharmacies use it too. Supply of insulin would be a big worry. As one example.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> There is a thing called just-in-time inventory control. Most manufacturing plants use it nowadays. We use it to make tires at my work. Last year the company upgraded their computer programs and something screwed up the inventory. Nobody noticed the problem until we ran out of material to make the sidewalls. Plant was down for days while the logistics people scrambled to get enough in to start work again. Many thousands of tires were lost over that one little hiccup. Now imagine no Internet nationwide. The places using just in time will be in trouble quick. Grocery stores and pharmacies use it too. Supply of insulin would be a big worry. As one example.


Years ago when I drove semi-truck...I was taking a load to a autoplant....on the way there we (I drove team) got stopped for an inspection..first we waited for a long time in line, then they pulled us for a XRAY, waited again, after the xray they said..it does not look like you are hauling what your manifest says you are hauling, so they inspected us... which took longer.... in all HOURS.......... We arrived late for our drop off... they (autoplant) were pissed because they had to shut down the line...started to give us crap but I explained (Loudly) what happened and told them it was in no way our fault...we were on track to be 4 hours early....but because we were stopped we end up in rush hour which made us even later


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## Danm (Nov 15, 2014)

longterm it would greatly increase the number of employment open alot of jobs recreated to replace the loss of net but i would miss amazon.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

The trucking industry uses internet to coordinate deliveries, this might mean no groceries being delivered to your local supermarket for a while.. Our whole society is dependent on the internet unfortunately.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

You couldn't use debit cards or ATM machines. If you decided to send a paper check, the account and routing number needs to go into a PC. The business you were sending the check to probably isn't providing much if any services anyway.

Too many things connected, and too many people overly dependent.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Actually this would be a very good time to print out a bank statement and review your other financial statements, have proof of everything on paper.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I'll say it again for good measure. Lifesaving medication will dry up and cause a lot of death. Everything from manufacturing it to final delivery to the pharmacy.


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## Danm (Nov 15, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I'll say it again for good measure. Lifesaving medication will dry up and cause a lot of death. Everything from manufacturing it to final delivery to the pharmacy.


Im lucky with meds get mine and my sons in 6 month supplies.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Has anyone thought about ordering the Canadian prescriptions like some people did because of financial reasons.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I would immediately give $5 lessons to phone addicted young men on how to "skip rocks" by throwing useless I-Phones on the pond. Most would throw like girls so I would laugh at them. I'm sure some of them, upon learning how to skip rocks, would immediately pick up a flat rock and hold it in front of them and ask me (Newly King of the Rock Skippers) to take a "selfie" with them using the flat rock.

God Save This Great Republic...


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

James m said:


> Has anyone thought about ordering the Canadian prescriptions like some people did because of financial reasons.


I would only rely upon a Canadian to give me advise on the proper way to take a "one-timer from the blue line". Or maybe share techniques for walleye jigging. Probably not on medicine.


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## Mish (Nov 5, 2013)

Slippy said:


> I would only rely upon a Canadian to give me advise on the proper way to take a "one-timer from the blue line". Or maybe share techniques for walleye jigging. Probably not on medicine.


You're on a roll this morning!!! LOL


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Damn Straight!

Son1 and Son2+Girlfriend have been here for a week. In addition 4 of my nephews were also here on a visit to shoot my ammo and attempt to drink my beer and whiskey. 2 of the 4 are douchebag little wimps that need a Real Man Influence in their life and that burden has fallen to me and my sons. The other two are OK. We've had a blast and it was great seeing all of them. Nephews left the other day and Son1 left early this morning. Son2 and Girlfriend leave in an hour. 

Slippy (as you say) is on a roll.


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## Mish (Nov 5, 2013)

Slippy said:


> Damn Straight!
> 
> Son1 and Son2+Girlfriend have been here for a week. In addition 4 of my nephews were also here on a visit to shoot my ammo and attempt to drink my beer and whiskey. 2 of the 4 are douchebag little wimps that need a Real Man Influence in their life and that burden has fallen to me and my sons. The other two are OK. We've had a blast and it was great seeing all of them. Nephews left the other day and Son1 left early this morning. Son2 and Girlfriend leave in an hour.
> 
> Slippy (as you say) is on a roll.


Good lord!! I'm sure it will be nice to regain your privacy! hehe I guess that's why you are so gitty this morning!


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## Hawaii Volcano Squad (Sep 25, 2013)

I posted a rant when the internet when down for a few days in Kona. The world stops, people don't go to work since they can't be paid, you can't buy gas, latest design warships cease to function since they are run on the net. Started prepping after this event; Sept. 23, 2013. Well here is my rant from way back when the net went down just for fun:


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

If it were only a 8 to 24 hour outage, I doubt that more than 200,000 young people would be jumping off of buildings or throwing themselves in front of buses or trains. Ok, maybe 300,000. Most of us older folks would simply leave the computer off until we heard the net was back up. Not a humongous deal to us. More than a day, it would affect deliveries of everything. It could affect the grid. It would affect all sorts of on-line banking, social security checks, pension checks, welfare benefits, etc. 
I wonder of Damn  is correct about improving employment. Maybe in the long run, but in the short term, I think people would be out of work until delivery systems are figured out. Obviously banking would be messed up. Another reason to have some cash stashed at home for emergencies. But always have small bills, $1 and $5s. Besides if you run out of TP, you've got a back up, and you could launder the bills.

BTW, warships are Intranet, not Internet.


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

News
Risk to anything I was consulting on
Shopping for things not available locally
Barometer of how bad it's getting

But, I have been working to compensate for all those. Mostly by encouraging specific local production.

I remember before "shopping" when if you could not make it, then you got some of the milk/crop money out and went looking in town. I'm lucky.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Slippy said:


> I would only rely upon a Canadian to give me advise on the proper way to take a "one-timer from the blue line". Or maybe share techniques for walleye jigging. Probably not on medicine.


I must say that weak beer is getting the best of you, eh?


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

tinkerhell said:


> I must say that weak beer is getting the best of you, eh?


La firme Touche mon ami canadien!!


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## Doc Holliday (Dec 22, 2012)

Since I only visit forums to sometimes laugh, sometimes learn and sometimes just shake my head. I think I would just go about my life and not worry if the interwebs went down.


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## hayden (Apr 30, 2012)

Hey Paraquack, I don't think that is what they mean by money laundering. 


paraquack said:


> If it were only a 8 to 24 hour outage, I doubt that more than 200,000 young people would be jumping off of buildings or throwing themselves in front of buses or trains. Ok, maybe 300,000. Most of us older folks would simply leave the computer off until we heard the net was back up. Not a humongous deal to us. More than a day, it would affect deliveries of everything. It could affect the grid. It would affect all sorts of on-line banking, social security checks, pension checks, welfare benefits, etc.
> I wonder of Damn  is correct about improving employment. Maybe in the long run, but in the short term, I think people would be out of work until delivery systems are figured out. Obviously banking would be messed up. Another reason to have some cash stashed at home for emergencies. But always have small bills, $1 and $5s. Besides if you run out of TP, you've got a back up, and you could launder the bills.
> 
> BTW, warships are Intranet, not Internet.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Slippy said:


> La firme Touche mon ami canadien!!


A large group of Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan are moving down 
> a road when
> they hear a voice call from behind a sand dune: "One Newfie 
> soldier is
> better than ten Taliban. 
> 
> The Taliban commander quickly orders 10 of his best men over the dune
> whereupon a gun battle breaks out and continues for a few 
> minutes, followed
> by silence.
> 
> The voice once again calls out: "One Newfie is better than one hundred
> Taliban."
> 
> Furious, the Taliban commander sends his next best 100 
> troops over the dune
> and instantly a huge gun fight commences. After 10 minutes of 
> battle, again
> silence.
> 
> The Newfie voice calls out again: "One Newfie is better than one 
> thousandTaliban! 
> 
> The enraged Taliban commander musters 1000 fighters and sends 
> them to the
> other side of the dune. Rifle fire, machine guns, 
> grenades, rockets and
> cannon fire ring out as a terrible battle is fought. Then. 
> . . . silence.
> 
> Eventually one badly wounded Taliban fighter crawls back over 
> the dune and
> with his dying words tells his commander, "Don't send any more 
> men.....it'sa trap. There are TWO of them."


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## sargedog (Nov 12, 2012)

What is this Amazon you speak of? I am way to simple I guess, I only use the net for forums and entertainment. As far as banking goes my check goes in, I withdraw it. Bills I pay face to face, I don't pay anything online. I have ordered some firearms from Bud's, but send check never use cards. I wish I had a hold of these hackers, I would like to show them a bad day.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

sargedog said:


> What is this Amazon you speak of? ....I wish I had a hold of these hackers, I would like to show them a bad day.


I hear you Sarge, an Amazon used to be a tall good looking jungle chick. The world has done passed many of us by and not for the good...


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 5 characters.


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## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

I think most work places would become more productive.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Welcome back to long line ups at the bank, IF they even bother to open their doors.


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