At what point will people drop their ISP connection to pay other bills?

[CK_John]

I think this may be a barometer of how well or how bad the economy really is. I wonder if there are any charts showing paid connections?

[ramapo]

1. Last resort

People need their cable TV and ISP

[ananda]

2. Why?

Why do people need their cable
and ISP?

Computer access is free at local libraries,
and as for tv.. weelll...

Also, I think cable companies and/or ISP
providers need customers much more than the
customers need -them-....

[dysfunctional press]

5. free at local libraries...

if other cities and towns are anything like chicago, the hours that the libraries are open has been cut drastically.

[LiberalHeart]

16. Yep, I dropped my cable TV before Christmas, watching free digital...

...and I'm thinking of dropping back in my ISP to a slower speed that would save me a few bucks. I won't go with the library idea, though, because I rely on the computer for news all day and into the wee hours of the night.

Haven't missed cable TV yet, largely because MSNBC live streams political stuff.

[uppityperson]

22. My local library is 6 miles away.

No public transport. I could ride my bike in every couple days, but doubt I'd do that.

[Kittycat]

3. No, people WANT those connections.

I've seen people complain online about not having enough food in the house they were so broke. But yeah- how much is that internet costing you?

[RockaFowler]

4. Well I've already cut back

I pay $9.99 a month for internet. I used to have DSL for $35.

[ixion]

6. internet would be the last thing to go

for me, at least. I feel disconnected without it.

[madokie]

7. I could see going back to dialup

the whole shit'n sh'bang if need be though including satelite

[CK_John]

9. I'm still in the dialup phase, fast enough for me. n/t

[madokie]

21. actually I'm only a smidgen better than dialup and we're paying 40 bucks a month for it

when I was on dial up I turned off some things, don't remember right now what but it made a quite a difference. My theory on the internet is it is vital because otherwise I would have no idea what the hell is going on. We get two newspapers every day and in the smaller one of the two I do get a little news but that'll only be maybe one or two articles. People who live in northeastern oklahoma are to say the least, information challenged if they don't don't go to the net as we do. There's a big difference in what I read in our papers and what I find here, worlds apart

[KharmaTrain]

8. Yeppers...They Drop Cable TV First

I know that for the dollar paid, we get our money's worth out of this internet connection...it provides hours of individualized entertainment as well as access to the outside world. Next to keeping the power and heat on, the internet is right there on the list of what I would try to afford to keep...cutting corners elsewhere.

If you'd like a barometer...I'd look at the sales of the hardware and software. Will people purchase as many new machines or try to make the older one go a little longer? Will they buy new programs that generated a software boom a decade ago, or will they make do with the old games?

[CK_John]

11. Interesting just read an acticle where dell showed growth and hp slowed on cnet. n/t

[DS1]

10. I dropped cable over a year ago. I'd drop booze and walk to work

in the cold before dropping my ISP line. And no, dial-up is right out. I'd offer to pay half of someone else's and piggy back off their wireless before that happened.

[greguganus]

12. When they threaten to turn off my electricity.

Free news, music, and porn. What else could you want?

[kedrys]

13. I make my living on the 'net

So, never. I'd cut booze and other incidentals before I dropped my access.

[Sannum]

14. My internet is included in my rent.

My cable TV is as well...

[MANative]

15. My ability to make money in my business is

directly connected to having an internet connection. That's how most of my clients find me, and how I communicate with them to a very large degree. Even when business is slow, I can't cut back because it would mean cutting off more than half of my business potential.

[Echo In Light]

17. Imagine how grim America would be sans internet/alternative media? Relying only on MSM?

[warren pease]

18. I'd rather give up heroin and strawberry cheesecake than cut off broadband access. n/t

[LanternWaste]

19. I dropped mine four months ago.

I dropped mine four months ago. No internet at home, no cable t.v., either.

Not happy about it, but I'm not terribly unhappy about it either.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. The Internet is essential for my business

I'd give up a lot before I'd give that up.