Internet blessing or curse

[Victors Mate]

Shopping and banking well it’s certainly more convenient on the plus side but also more vulnerable so that is a minus.

Information is certainly there especially on the likes of Google but once again you have to cut through the sites wishing to sell their wares some of whom will be just scams wishing to part the unwary from their money.

Then there are the forums, you can spend/waste many hours on forums making some good friends some you meet and some you correspond with regularly. In my case members here sent flowers for my dear Gina’s funeral and donated many pounds to Leukaemia Research in her memory. On the other hand you find yourself in the company of people you would cross the road to avoid and never, ever wish to meet.

Then there is the question of what you would be doing if you weren’t sitting at the keyboard in my case many, many books I have and are yet to be read, recipes I wish to try, restaurants I have been told to try and yes even programmes and DVDs to view.

So the question is “is the internet a blessing or a curse or a bit of both”. .

[Rowan]

A bit of both for me, I enjoy the forums and the online shopping and banking but it does concern me about this identity theft stuff. I would agree with you that forum friends can be caring as I have learned the past few years with cards and gifts arriving from forum friends when I have been in hospital. On the other hand there is one forum where insults and nastiness abounds - but only from those and such as those. Moderators don't truly moderate. If you must moderate, everyone should be liable to the same rules.

[sweetpea]

A bit of both for me too. I love having all the information, on whatever subject, at the click of a button, but am very wary, after a spate of spoofing recently. I was on facebook but deactivated because I worry about the security aspect despite doing all I'm told to do re the security.

I spend far too much time surfing the web and know I should be getting on with other things, but there always seems to be "something" I want to "just check out"!

I have met some lovely people through the internet who I've met in real life, but also seen some downright rude/nasty posts on forums but now, having gained a little more experience, just consider them sad and can ignore.

The internet has helped me adapt to retirement as I so missed the company of my work pals.

[Lacemaker]

It has been a mixed blessing for me, too. It opened up the world for me and took me out of a rut I was getting myself into but at the same time - I do spend too much time on here.

I have enjoyed meeting friends I have made on the Internet - about 50 of them so far both in the UK, USA and when some of them have visited Australia but there are many more I would love to meet. I just missed out on visiting Maisie much to my disappointment and also I missed out on visiting VM probably NOT to his disappointment !

On the other hand, I have met Rowan and Davy, Oddie, Monsie and Alisha, Deja (and will be meeting her again next April), Steve and SWMBO, Shutterfrog, Vannin, Polter (I will never forget that rocking chair at Otley ! ), e, Wendle, Roz, Dragon Lady, Young Goat, Jolly Jack, Ozzy, Topdog and Eric Bloodaxe to name but a few.

[Anya]

I find the Net enormously useful and enjoyable, especially keeping in touch with family and friend around the world - but I learnt right at the beginning that strict limits were needed.

Never had Internet banking and never would.
Never spend more than one hour a day on forums and other enjoyable contacts.
Never buy anything on the Net, unless I know the company well.

[Maywalk]

The computer has been a porthole for me to get to know others from around the world and like Hazel my biggest regret is NOT meeting her or anyone else in person.
That doesn't stop me from enjoying their cyber company though, be it through forums or privately.

I have had some great folks contacting me through my websites and I HAVE spent too much time on the net BUT at my age who cares.

I have had to give in to hubby though about staying on it after he has gone to bed just in case I have any more blackouts. I go to bed with him now but I sit reading.

I dont do any transactions on the net either.
Curiosity has just made me go into the members list and made me wonder what has happened to some of the regular members that we used to have. I was also quite surprised to see that I had been a member sine 2005.
Where the heck have all the years gone.
God Bless All.

[caroljoyce]

When I first went online I was a bit addicted to it and spent hours a day surfing the net. It was a curse in so much as it kept me from housework etc. Eventually I came more to my senses, discovered the sites I liked and conditioned myself to not spend all day on the computer.

Nowadays it's definitely a blessing. I just log onto the forums whan I want a bit of relaxation, It's a matter of knowing when to log off!! I've bought loads of goods online and never had a bad experience. I can check my bank balance day or night and emailing has saved me a lot of time and bother.

[Jann]

I use the computer for a lot of things,I tend to dip in and out all day if I am in ...you never I just might miss something

[Rowan]

I look at the memberlist sometimes and wonder if I should remove the names who haven't been on the forum for a long time - sometimes for years. Wonder what happened to them.

[rocky]

[font=Tahoma]"A bit of both" is pretty much how I feel as well.
A check of news sites and forums in the morning with my coffee.
Researching my yucky CIDP takes time.
And I do shop from sites I trust.
But I don't do online banking -- somehow, that makes me nervous ( probably an age thing, don't you think? )..[/font]

[ciderman_nz]

Like Carol, I feel safer with internet banking than I did with cash and chequebooks. I check my bank at least every couple of days and on the one occasion that there was a discrepancy, (somebody had put $12,000 in by direct credit instead of $12!) , the bank corrected it immediately. Conversely when I lost my chequebook about 1970, two cheques had been cashed before I found out I had lost it. The banks attitude was 'well you should be more careful where you leave your chequebook!'. I've been with a different bank ever since of course!

[Maywalk]

My lovely d-i-l does mine because we have made her Power of Attorney and having had over 25 years in the banking business she is very astute.

[Vince]

I thoroughly enjoy the Internet and use my banking facilities quite regularly, I would like to spend even more time than I do surfing the web, but because of my outdoor activities I find it impracticable.

I enjoy visiting the three forums I use, and appreciate my contribution level is very poor, However, with the winter months now setting in I may try a little harder to contribute.