I’ve used the internet since 1999. It has become an integral part of my life. I need it for news updates, emails, and other sources of information.

A day without the internet, for me, is a day wasted

I work at home and use Google Documents for writing projects; I communicate constantly with people all over the world by email; and I get my news, information and light entertainment from the internet. 

I never ever watch TV but I still subscribe to two newspapers, a weekly news digest from Europe, and the New Yorker. 

Eventually, I fear, I shall stop paying for newspapers (and save some trees) but I would be happy to support news organizations on line.

It is my connection to the world, especially now that I am retired. Though I read a home-delivered newspaper every morning and several new & literary magazines, I rely on my computer for all kinds of news and information, and instead of using a public library I go online for research. I’m very curious by nature and research many subjects, now that I don’t have to focus only on literary matters (my former profession).

Socially, it is an integral part of my daily life, for former colleagues, friends, relatives who live abroad  are out of daily reach, and now, we are in touch. I rarely use the telephone, so the computer is very important to me.

I also use the computer to purchase books because it is a great source for out-of-print books and whatever interests me.

 And, because I was a 3-typwriter person for many years, I am thrilled that writing  & revising are done so easily onlne (no more erasures or that icky paper we used  for making duplicate copies). A book I’ve been writing is magically transformed whenever necessary, saved, and printed, at will. And, I maintain an almost-daily journal, and there it is stored in its own file—-though I’m still a paper person and have a full-sized filing cabinet in my bedroom home office. Paying bills is easy, as well as shopping, so no more coping with crowds in stores. 

Hurray for the computer! 

I started to use a computer in 1997. First it was to sell my left over stock from my closed shop. Slowly I became addicted to just about everything on line. Use it as a dictionary, research, recipes, gardening, games, learning about new subjects (this week it is trilobites)revamping my French verbs, best of all finding friends from the past and writing to everyone in the world. I no longer use the telephone.

Found a friend from my 7th grade in Ghent Belgium. Found friends who knew my husband when he was in art school. I am learning how small the world is and loving it.

Found one soldier who had fed my Mom and I in 1944 and kept up with him and his familly till he passed on last year, that was so rewarding. 

You can take everything but not my computer and my son just gave me a new one!!!!

I call it "touching base" .  . but when I come in, I tend to head to the computer soon after.  My faraway friends have - more often than not - become daily correspondents, drawing us close.  Like me, many have also spent a lifetime "hooked" on adventurous travel, and - in writing - one thing leads to another.  Yesterday an older friend just happened to tell me something amazing:  his father has a mountain named after him in the Rainer range in Washington State - Mt. Clark.  The story of his father’s early years at the turn of the last century in Alaska had me mesmerized in his exploration.  In turn, I said that a friend of mine has a mountain named after him in Antarctica — Mt. Kooyman.  We practically wrote a book together .  . as the past experiences our families had had poured out.  We found ourselves "cemented" together more than we had ever thought.  I was riding a high and so was he.  "Fascinating" doesn’t quite do it — far beyond.!! 

My friends seem to write extremely well … and the e-mails are so beautifully formed and deep that they are "keepers".  . and frankly, I cannot resist reading this beauty of writing as well as its content.  With another person, I spent half an hour back and forth on our own up close and personal experiences with moose and elk in the wilds - an almost "can you top this" group of experiences. 

And, with the twists and turns in all our lives, e-mails come with a wealth of food for thought.  I try always "to be there" as years bring calamities and need to spill things out and be heard (read).  I notice that is happening more often … 

I love the handwritten letters that come by mail on that heavy paper best.  But we are about out of that era except for condolences now — but our lives have moved on. Each of us sits in front of computers and thank God that we have friends who care enough to write almost daily.  There is a sense that all is right in the world with these "touchstones", telling us that we care enough to write. . even a few words that end with love.  The caring is the best part, isn’t it?

I don’t call this "just passing the time" as the content is worth gold to each of us.  The hours?  Who knows, as they seem like moments in time well spent - and I usually walk away with my heart full and the feeling I am blessed in loving friends.  Joan

Since I only read the local paper and the NY Times, the rest of my reading of the news is on line.  An average of 6+ online papers daily plus certain quarterly journals. Then there are my art studies, a chat group I’ve been with for 10 yrs. So I’m online at the minimum 5 hours daily and usually much much more. Then let’s not forget e-mail. I’d be lost without the internet.

The first thing I do in the morning is check my emails.  Actually, I have met a lot people online who have become very good friends, in person I mean.  Guess, though I spend too much time :)