Internet. What's the point?

[Thermopylae_480]

Park Associates, a Dallas based market research firm, recently preformed a survey of internet subscription in U.S. households. It was discovered that approximately 29%, or 31 million households, do not currently have internet access and do not plan on subscribing to any service within the next twelve months. The majority sited that they saw little reason to subscribe to the internet; feeling it would not add any value to their daily lives. The next largest reason was cost. Many felt they could not afford the cost required to purchase a computer, and/or subscribe to an ISP.

Source: cnn.com

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[GLD]

I can see some people/families being on a fixed/limited income and some not being able to afford a smoking fast pc, but there are enough previous gen. comps. out there that I imagine every house could have a pc if they wanted one. They just need to look and ask around. Heck, I have more pc's then I need, and have hooked up family with decent pc's already.

People thinking the internet is not worth it and/or won't add value to their daily lives. WDF? OK, lets all go rent movies then and sit in front of our TV's. People need not be afraid of technology. They need to embrace it.

 

[Protius]

if i didn't have internet, i'd never be on my computer

 

[jocksteeluk]

you dont miss what you haven't got that is practically the outcome of the survey. Lets face it the Internet for most becomes addictive once you have it, i would go crazy if i moved somewhere without internet but overtime i would of course learn to do without.

 

[_SPEED]

Some reasons why you don't need a subscription:

1./ Free dial-up doesnt need an internet subscription

2./ Wireless access from neighbour doesnt need a subscription

3./ Old age pensioners, dont even know how to use a PC, or can't!

4./ People using internet only for emails... use work and/or public resources like library PC's. You don't buy a PC JUST for email

5./ The blind or visually impared

6./ Houses without telephones and/or electricity

7./ Summer/holiday homes (second residences)

8./ Handicapped people

9./ Amish community

... the list goes on.

What is impressive is >70% penetration, and the fact that the market is already saturated for connection subscription. Innovation of product/service is required for more profits.

 

[Thermopylae_480]

I don't think it took multiple houses owned by an individual into account, but rather if you had internet access at the house you typically occupy.

 

[Namslas90]

I have 2 paid subscriptions to Internet access. Comcast and AT&T DSL. Wonder what the % of that is?

 

[Conti027]

yea it doesnt show the percent of people that have it to people that dont and the internet is growing fast

 

[Thermopylae_480]

The article says 29% don't. So 71% do. Or ~1/3 people do not have internet access in the house they typically occupy.

 

[_SPEED]

From what I understood of the survey, it about "internet subscription" and "not access". About sizing the market for businesses. Since free internet dial-up does not require a subscription, I'll add it to the list above!

 

[WarEagleAU]

Face it, we all need a computer and internet access. Sooner or later everything will be accessed by pc and the web, so sooner than later would be better.

 

[kwchang007]

it'd be so hard to not have the internet. it's a form of entertainment, and you get so much from it. being a student, i love the internet. i do like reading out of a standard textbook more than a virtual textbook, but it's alot better that i use the internet textbook instead of carrying a 10 pound book home. I also feel that the internet is a great resource. imagine if it was back pre-internet.... everytime you need to know something, you have to go to the local library, if they don't have it, you have to order book from another branch, what do we do now? we go to wikipedia or google. if you wanted to check stock prices, you either a)turn on the tv (if you have one near) b) call in (i think that you could at least, i wouldn't know personally) now you just go to yahoo. the list could go on and on, IM, email, even forums, this kind of thing just wouldn't be possible without the internet.

sorry for the long post, but that's why the interent is awsome

 

[BXtreme]

If Internet wouldn't have been awesome, we would've been playing games over and over until we got bored

 

[unsmart]

I gave my parents a PC and ISP[ free from the wifes collage] last year and I would guess they used it 12 times tops. I know my dad has never even touched it and my mom only uses it when the grandkids are over to look up science stuff. There not even that old really only in there mid 50s. They just don't care to deal with it and would rather read, which is a good thing really
Computer illiteracy is the new illiteracy. Life is becoming more interface as opposed to face to face,Kinda sad in a way. It's very empty, you can't see peoples expressions.
Whats painful though is dial up I tried showing my brother in law my case online at my moms house and it F'en hurt for real waiting for the pics to load

 

[kwchang007]

I gave my parents a PC and ISP[ free from the wifes collage] last year and I would guess they used it 12 times tops. I know my dad has never even touched it and my mom only uses it when the grandkids are over to look up science stuff. There not even that old really only in there mid 50s. They just don't care to deal with it and would rather read, which is a good thing really
Computer illiteracy is the new illiteracy. Life is becoming more interface as opposed to face to face,Kinda sad in a way. It's very empty, you can't see peoples expressions.
Whats painful though is dial up I tried showing my brother in law my case online at my moms house and it F'en hurt for real waiting for the pics to load

dial-up is horrible, my parents finally decided to get dsl in october...it's so much better. My grandparents are kinda computer literate, not bad, they just don't know everything about it. they learned in about a month, it's just like learning anything else, you have to commit yourself. i feel sorry for all those people that try and play a game online with dial-up...that's got to hurt.

 

[BXtreme]

If play games in your own country's server, then dial-up isn't 'much' of a problem. Any1 who doesn't deal with heavy data, was to go for dial-up. BUT NOW, dsl is common

 

[kakazza]

Why do I think that those 29% still vote on polls about Internet regulation.

"THERE ARE TERRORISTS ON THE INTERNET! VOTE YES SO WE CAN SPY ON YOU!"

29%: "WE DON'T HAVE INTERNET BUT I HEARD THE INTERNET IS FULL WITH PIRATES, PEDOS AND TERRORISTS SO I VOTE FOR YES!"


PS: Yeah I love the drama ;p

 

[NamesDontMatter]

Why do I think that those 29% still vote on polls about Internet regulation.

"THERE ARE TERRORISTS ON THE INTERNET! VOTE YES SO WE CAN SPY ON YOU!"

29%: "WE DON'T HAVE INTERNET BUT I HEARD THE INTERNET IS FULL WITH PIRATES, PEDOS AND TERRORISTS SO I VOTE FOR YES!"


PS: Yeah I love the drama ;p

Right,

Well this survery dosen't mean anything since CNN provided no background information on how this survey was conducted, numbers can easily be skewed based on how data was collected. Even though CNN is a reliable source their is no background info on the study making it like I said completely useless.

 

[Thermopylae_480]

What would be the motivation to lie or mislead?

 

[unsmart]

Because that is what the american government does best.

This has nothing to do with the government, it's market research I think.
There is some misleading/ over hyping of problems with the internet but they are mostly media. I know a lot of older people think just by being online hackers can steal your cash and that a virus can blow up you PC.
I would like to see a demographic break down of the numbers. I would guess age would play the biggest part and that more woman use the net at work.

 

[Steevo]

No and neither is big oil.


I have given up my internet at home for awhile now, as we are remodeling, and I have no time, and our movie subscription, plus no cable.



But I get alot done, we have gone back and forth about getting internet back as we use it so much for work and home, but after the first month, you stop missing it. Plus I have close to 100GB of wget stuff that I haven't even been through.

 

[psychomage343]

my 2 cents is, that with my college education, i think the time spent browsing the web looking at shit, and reading articles, science journals, computer information, my forum browsing habits, has given me almost as much useful information as my 240k collage career that i'm still paying for. the internet is literally the best thing since the wheel, and those who say they "don't need it, or don't want it" are complete waste's of space and drag the intelligence level of the us down, it's already a known fact that the us is one of the most undereducated 1st world countries in the world. why is that, i know cause people who have the audacity to say the internet is not worth it are worthless pieces of shit. that's why

 

[unsmart]

You do have to admit the net has a great potential for abuse or misuse. There is every fact and figure you could ever want if you care to find it,The fact is most not care to find it. Most use the net for porn[ 1st in pretty much all studies I've seen] , pirating media, my space and pointless emails/IMs. Just like TV and radio before it, the lowest common denominator will take over. The top rated shows not Nova and the top 40 has no jazz, most would rather see who the next bachelor picks or listen to the same beat over and over.

 

[psychomage343]

right but now your getting into demographics, most of those people who browse myspace, facebook, and other peer sites are teenagers. as they get older the myspace bug seems to die with kids and they take on more realistic approaches to their friends and family. i also will admit to having my fair share of free music and video games, and i'm also a frequent user of myspace and facebook, but why the hell not right, i can keep in contact with the many people i went to school with whom i don't see much anymore, and share stories and notes and pictures, all from the comfort of my house, which right now has 5 bedrooms after my addition was added last week, so i may be asking, where do i fit in this demographic, i'm 22 years old i have an incredible job, a lot of money, i'm college educated, and i prefer the comfort of my computer chair and the knowledge i could pull off the internet simply by "googling it"..

 

[Darkrealms]

I just got a buddy setup with a 550mhz 256mb computer w/ 17" ctr, keyboard, mouse, and printer for $70. The options are out there its a matter of people not knowing it. Or businesses beating people to death with Recomended Specs for everything.
The system I mentioned isn't fast but it will work fine for the email and online bills my buddy needs it for.