[douglas]

the threads that have "broadband only" or "Dial up beware"

Must be a pet peave of mine that I would be surprised if even a small percentage of people use dial up, and those that do, would know by now a thread w/pics will take a long time to load

So............does anyone actually still use even use dial up?

 

[Westy]

High speed access is expensive around here. I only got rid of dialup last year becaue I got rid of my landline. I now use Ntelos wireless access, it uses cell technology not wi-fi. It can really suck sometime but it is cheap.

 

[hooples3]

i have broadband but i know a few guys at work who use dial-up at home. I cant even imagine dial up anymore..

 

[valve bouncer]

My olds have dial-up, just about drove me round the twist when I was there.

 

[jacksonpt]

I'm on dial-up at home... it's the only thing available to me (well, satelite broadband, but that's $$$$$). And yes, I'm smart enough to know about load times... most of the time I browse with images turned off unless I need to see them for some reason.

 

[binary visions]

I think it's funny that people are convinced that dial-up is dead.

The US Dept. of Commerce reported in its 2004 report that 34.3 percent of online households still use dial-up.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/NationOnlineBroadband04.htm

Yes, a tremendous amount of the population still uses dial-up. Yes, it's shrinking (down from 40.7% in 2003), but it's still there.

 

[narlus]

I think it's funny that people are convinced that dial-up is dead.

The US Dept. of Commerce reported in its 2004 report that 34.3 percent of online households still use dial-up.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/NationOnlineBroadband04.htm

Yes, a tremendous amount of the population still uses dial-up. Yes, it's shrinking (down from 40.7% in 2003), but it's still there.

but what about the demographic of RM? certainly it's not a 1/3rd on dial-up, which is why Doug's point about "dial-up beware" photo topics are pretty much a moot point.

we ditched dialup a long time ago (at least 6-7 years ago) and i couldn't imagine going back.

 

[valve bouncer]

and i couldn't imagine going back.

be like buying a black and white TV.
A question for you monkeys.

Do many of you have internet/phone/cable all bundled into one package?

 

[Westy]

Other than power, I have nothing wired into my house.

 

[narlus]

Other than power, I have nothing wired into my house.

why do i get the idea that this is where Westy does his critical thinking?

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I have no choice at home but dialup.

 

[narlus]

I have no choice at home but dialup.

i see at least two choices:

1 - satellite

2 - move

 

[johnbryanpeters]

1) Satellite won't reliably support VPN connections, which I need for when I'm on call.

2) When hell freezes over. I like my li'l 75 acre spread.

 

[binary visions]

Do many of you have internet/phone/cable all bundled into one package?

I've got an internet/cable package and do Vonage for my phone - so yeah, all of my internet/phone/cable runs through the same line.

but what about the demographic of RM? certainly it's not a 1/3rd on dial-up

Maybe, but you won't get a good representation of who's who from posting a thread. Only about 1/2 to 1/3 of Ridemonkey visitors are registered members at any given time. So, the statistic of 1/3 of the population still residing on dial-up is much more likely to represent those people than a poll in the Lounge.

 

[antimony]

My parents still have dial-up

 

[Downhiller]

i have been used dial up but before 2 months i get dsl 2048/256 Kbps...

 

[douglas]

I think it's funny that people are convinced that dial-up is dead.

The US Dept. of Commerce reported in its 2004 report that 34.3 percent of online households still use dial-up.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/NationOnlineBroadband04.htm

Yes, a tremendous amount of the population still uses dial-up. Yes, it's shrinking (down from 40.7% in 2003), but it's still there.

dude, its 2006! and things change fast!

even so I bet most people in that 34.3% are people that go online once a week just to check email

 

[binary visions]

dude, its 2006! and things change fast!

even so I bet most people in that 34.3% are people that go online once a week just to check email

First of all, it's not 2006 in terms of yearly reports, it's less than a month into 2006.

So, the report is a year old, but they don't publish a new one every year. There are plenty of other statistical sites but I figured the US Dept. of Commerce is one that we can agree is probably pretty representative of the general population instead of polling certain people that may be more or less inclined to have one form of internet over the other.

Maybe you're right and maybe that's all they do - but you're only guessing as to what their usage may or may not be. I was answering the original post

Some people really are stuck in areas that don't provide broadband. Are those people more or less likely to be internet junkies? I was doing a lot of web surfing long before I got broadband.

 

[Westy]

why do i get the idea that this is where Westy does his critical thinking?

Pretty close but I refuse to live in the desert.

 

[douglas]

Some people really are stuck in areas that don't provide broadband. Are those people more or less likely to be internet junkies?

IMO, definitely less

I was doing a lot of web surfing long before I got broadband.

me too, but back then the percentage of people with dial up was high, so web sites were designed to load fast for dial up users. In most cases nowadays its just the opposite...web sites are designed w/plenty of pics, sounds, videos, etc. (the 3 sites I work on/or designed the last thing I care about is someone w/dial up)

If we had dial up now, it would suck I'd bet neither of us would be doing hardly any web surfing

 

[Morryjg]

Maybe if broadband wasn't 4 times as expensive :mumble: For now I'm still a cheap bastage and only feel like paying $12 a month for my connection.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

i guess if you spend enough time on the internet to have a forum account, you probably already have broadband to support the internet habit.

i used to have cable/internet in the same package.. but now i have dsl.

they are all from the same company tough.

i remember back in the day (circa `97) it was like 40 bucks a month for 10 monthly dial up hours, $6 any extra hour... plus 3 bucks an hour for phone line use for every hour logged on.
one month my internet bill was like 400 bucks, and that was the end of my internet days for like 2 years.....

now i have 400k/128k dsl for around $35.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I'm a jerk and don't put warnings in my pic thread titles. I just let dial-up folks suffer.

 

[splat]

I've even gone so far as to upgrade from Broadband to FIOS , Mainly because I'm a cheap Bastard, but it s faster and Cheaper.

 

[binary visions]

IMO, definitely less

I disagree.

Maybe more, even, since being in areas where broadband is inaccessible often means a more rural area, where other forms of entertainment can often be sparse.

I'm not saying that people in rural areas can't find things to do with their time but I grew up in the sticks where we couldn't even get cable TV if we wanted it. If you want electronic entertainment, the Internet is your only gateway.

me too, but back then the percentage of people with dial up was high, so web sites were designed to load fast for dial up users.

"Back then"?

I'm talking about a few years ago, when broadband was still very prevelant.

(the 3 sites I work on/or designed the last thing I care about is someone w/dial up)

I think you're losing customers... but I digress

If we had dial up now, it would suck I'd bet neither of us would be doing hardly any web surfing

I think I'd be doing somewhat less, but not substantially less.

 

[douglas]

Maybe if broadband wasn't 4 times as expensive :mumble: For now I'm still a cheap bastage and only feel like paying $12 a month for my connection.

what happens when someone nneds to make a call, say when your 30 mins into a 4 hour porn download?


my sis has dail up, she pays $15 for her account, her hubby pays $15 for his, and $35 for a extra phone line....she says its too expensive to get broadband, but it would be $45 instead of the $65 she pays now

 

[The Toninator]

Dial up I don’t care to waste money on this luxury. BUT please for dogs sake y’all keep signing up cuz in the long run when I get ready it will be nice and cheap.

 

[valve bouncer]

I've even gone so far as to upgrade from Broadband to FIOS , Mainly because I'm a cheap Bastard, but it s faster and Cheaper.

Yeah I hope to get the fibre optic deal happening sometime this year too.

 

[douglas]

I disagree.
Maybe more, even, since being in areas where broadband is inaccessible often means a more rural area, where other forms of entertainment can often be sparse.

I'm not saying that people in rural areas can't find things to do with their time but I grew up in the sticks where we couldn't even get cable TV if we wanted it. If you want electronic entertainment, the Internet is your only gateway.

"Back then"?

I'm talking about a few years ago, when broadband was still very prevelant.

I think you're losing customers... but I digress

I think I'd be doing somewhat less, but not substantially less.

well, we definitely have different (basically opposite) opinions on this....but it just so happens mine is right, and yours is wrong

 

[binary visions]

well, we definitely have different (basically opposite) opinions on this....but it just so happens mine is right, and yours is wrong

Funny, I was going to say the same thing, except reversed

 

[urbaindk]

I have dialup at home but it's free through work. It's slow but I can't complain.

 

[Morryjg]

what happens when someone nneds to make a call, say when your 30 mins into a 4 hour porn download?


my sis has dail up, she pays $15 for her account, her hubby pays $15 for his, and $35 for a extra phone line....she says its too expensive to get broadband, but it would be $45 instead of the $65 she pays now

well......I try to avoid the 4 hour porn download, but if it has to be done I wait until later at night and just tie up the phone line. Or if it is a large d/l and I can pull it down at work (t3 line) I do that. I have a 512m flash drive that is much to convenient for moving large files. $12 for one account and no extra phone line.

 

[bluebug32]

I was spoiled with broadband in college, so now I have Optimum's Triple Play with a cable modem. Though I'd much rather sock 100 bucks into my bike each month, it's the best deal I could find for phone, internet and cable.

 

[SkaredShtles]

If my work didn't pay for my broadband, I think I'd still be on dialup.

 

[narlus]

2) When hell freezes over. I like my li'l 75 acre spread.

why aren't you hosting a RM festival on yr plot? damn, imagine the trail system you could build w/ 70 acres of wooded VT land...

 

[Heidi]

I work for a telecommunications company and there are a good number of customers in our area that can't get a broadband connection.

 

[SkaredShtles]

why aren't you hosting a RM festival on yr plot? damn, imagine the trail system you could build w/ 70 acres of wooded VT land...

He probably likes the peace and quiet...................

 

[Angus]

I'm on dial-up at home... it's the only thing available to me (well, satelite broadband, but that's $$$$$). And yes, I'm smart enough to know about load times... most of the time I browse with images turned off unless I need to see them for some reason.

I am in the same Boat, at home it's all dial up, nothing available except Satellite, but when I do the commute to the office its all high speed in the city, so therefore I do more surfing at work....

 

[berkshire_rider]

I made the switch to cable broadband a little over 5 years ago. Don't ever see myself going back, and have accepted the $42 a month for the 3mb service is simply one of my monthly bills in life. I might switch to Fios if someone other than Verizon offered it. There DSL product was an interesting experience.

Nothing worse than tying up a pc for the latest MS patch / virus defs / mtb video download / etc. and waiting for 2 hours while on dialup. It's painful just to check email at my parents through a dialup account.


Valve: I use voip, but separate from the cable company.

 

[robdamanii]

I remember back in the day when a 256K baud modem was the absolute pinncale of technology and how it was SO cool to play a game online with other people. I remember my first game of Doom online....

The funny thing is most young kids never even knew the dial-up age. My ex's little 11 year old sister didn't believe that there was no such thing as broadband.