Disconnet Internet

[BarbTherese]

If I cancel my internet provider and disconnect from the internet, will all emails automatically stop and bounce back to sender?  I have hotmail, yahoo and gmail addresses.  Hotmail is for everyday personal type emails.  Yahoo is for my calendar and gmail for my subscriptions (reading only).  For my Hotmail address, I am planning on sending out email advices of disconnection to my contacts if I do decide to disconnect.  I need to assess what it will mean for me first as I do pay all my accounts online, but am confident there are other means I can use.

 

I am planning on possibly disconnecting from the internet and giving my laptop away, returning to a really simple way of life which will also boost income which is getting pretty thin indeed.  Disconnection means of course that I would be abandoning Phatmass too.

 

You will need to spell things out simply for me as I consider myself just computer literate in order to use the computer for resource searching (Google) and emails, Word and Excel. I need to search my computer dictionary for computer language and even then sometimes I don't understand.

 

Thank you for your patience...........Barb :)

[Vitamin]

Nope. Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail all exist independently of your internet provider so if you cut off your internet the mails will just sit in your inbox unread. Have fun saving money on an internet bill, but cutting out cable would probably save you more. Frankly, I like the internet better than cable anyway.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Vitamin

[arfink]

If I cancel my internet provider and disconnect from the internet, will all emails automatically stop and bounce back to sender?  I have hotmail, yahoo and gmail addresses.  Hotmail is for everyday personal type emails.  Yahoo is for my calendar and gmail for my subscriptions (reading only).  For my Hotmail address, I am planning on sending out email advices of disconnection to my contacts if I do decide to disconnect.  I need to assess what it will mean for me first as I do pay all my accounts online, but am confident there are other means I can use.

 

I am planning on possibly disconnecting from the internet and giving my laptop away, returning to a really simple way of life which will also boost income which is getting pretty thin indeed.  Disconnection means of course that I would be abandoning Phatmass too.

 

You will need to spell things out simply for me as I consider myself just computer literate in order to use the computer for resource searching (Google) and emails, Word and Excel. I need to search my computer dictionary for computer language and even then sometimes I don't understand.

 

Thank you for your patience...........Barb :)

 

Short answer: no. Nobody will know you've unplugged, because those services are provided by someone else.

 

The service you pay for is like a driveway, and the internet is like the roads through the city. You pay to have your driveway connect to the rest of the network. When you visit Gmail or Yahoo mail you're visiting a business down the road from you to get your mail from them. They will not stop existing and holding your mail for you just because you rip up your driveway.

 

If you want help setting things up so that people are notified that you are shutting things down, you have to go further than stop paying the internet bill. And if finances are a problem for you there are good reduced-cost internet options which are not as fast. But they are not available everywhere. I'm sure someone could help you with that, so you're not paying for something really expensive like Comcast.

[Vitamin]

Comcast is expensive, lol.

[BarbTherese]

Thank you very much for the very quick replies :)

 

I pay AU$48 fortnightly for Optus Mobile (2hrs talk time, free text), Internet (fast enough for me for sure) and home phone.  Then there is the cost of electricity which probably adds another $50 to my costs + copy paper and ink cartridge.   Optus has served me very well in my estimation. With the Australian government probably bringing in a very demanding budget for us all on next Tuesday 13th May, especially low incomes (like mine) and one that will increase other costs, $100 fortnightly (approx. only)would sure come in handy and I know someone who could use a good laptop and printer.

 

1 - After a period of time with my email addresses not being used by me as receiver, would the emails then automatically stop? 

 

2 - If I am going to disconnect the internet, should I be concerned if emails do not stop?

3 -  Is there some obligation on me as receiver?  (I would advise my regular contacts that I am  disconnecting). 

 4 - Surely there must be a way to disconnect from emails cancelling the address? Could I take my computer to a technician to disconnect?

 

I really am not looking at getting a provider who is cheaper but thank you for the recommendations (a simpler lifestyle is my objective too).  My sole concern is about my email addresses at this point anyway and doing what I should do if I do go ahead and disconnect.  I haven't made an actual decision as yet - just researching various factors to take into consideration before going ahead and making a firm decision.

  Before my very generous sons starting gifting me with technology, I had no phone, no TV, no mobile, no computer, no radio.  I was and am happy and know I just might go through a quite severe period of adjustment - and I have done this in the past and know that it can be done if not at all easy often and sometimes prolonged. It takes application, determination and prayerful trust and creativity- once one has decided it is the way to travel that has been indicated.

 

Electricity will probably be going up here in Australia too in July 2014.  Undoubtedly, where our direct costs are not increasing, various providers will be passing on their increases to the consumer.  I work voluntary for two charities - and they are already overwhelmed with those seeking assistance.  Looking at my budget and the likely future, I think I can read the writing on the wall.

[arfink]

OK, here's the scoop:

 

If you tell people who have your email addresses that you're going to stop using them, you don't have to do much, if anything, else. Now, whether that's an easily done thing depends on who actually has your address.

 

You are not responsible for unread email unless for some reason you have chosen to have important or contract-related correspondence taken care of by email, such as banking statements or bills.

 

Generally if you do not wish to do anything to your email addresses, you may simply let them sit dormant and never use them again. However it is also possible (and optional) to set up an auto-response thing that can run once you're disconnected so that people who do accidentally email you will receive a reminder message that you're not using it anymore. I know you can do this at least with Yahoo and Gmail.

[BarbTherese]

Thank you, Arfink.  :)

I think that covers it all for me.  I will contact my regular contacts and advise if I decide to disconnect and also advise my bank and those from whom I receive accounts for payment and ensure they are not using my email address before disconnection.   I will look into the auto response for each email address before I disconnect.

 

Barb

[arfink]

I would also advice changing the passwords to something long, convoluted, and random, right before you do disconnect. Email addresses can be used for impersonation and identity theft, and with you not monitoring them, there could potentially be issues if someone noticed it was dormant and decided to make an opportunistic attack on your passwords. Better still, consider deactivating them entirely. Not every email provider gives this option, but many do. I believe Google does.

[AnneLine]

And one other thing, BarbaraTherese, you may be able to log onto a free account like hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc. from any public library that allows you internet access.  Most will limit you to 1/2 or 1 hour at a time.  I have a number of friends who simply have an 'internet day' - one day that they go and use internet for just one hour.  They have their friends know to have any emails they need to get in the account by say... 10 AM on Wednesday.  They go in at 11AM Wednesday (in case any of those emails get slightly delayed) and read the emails, reply to anything that needs replying, and that is that for the week.  Costs nothing, and keeps them in contact.  This might work for you as well.   

 

I hope we won't be losing you off Phatmass.... we'd love to be part of your 1 x week updating if you choose to try that option...

 

It's also a good thing for you to have some contact with people as well, BarbaraTherese....

 

But do let us know, please!

 

Regardless, prayers for you!

[BarbTherese]

Thank you, AL. Worth considering each of your comments.  I do have regular contact twice weekly with workmates and clients that come into charities where I am working voluntary on reception in both - and if I can free up the time factor, will be joining seniors club.  My SD tells me that the one in his parish (next door almost to mine) is a very good seniors.  Also one charity (Anglicare) has quite a few seminars and addresses through the year for volunteers where one gets to meet and socialise with fellow volunteers.  Same with our parish conference of St. Vincent de Paul - and then there are neighbours too.  I tend to be very people orientated. I need them in my life for a balanced lifestyle and they form my community -  and if I HAD to choose between people and computer, I know which way I would go for sure.  But it is not that type of decision.

 

My problem re internet access outside of my residence such as the public library is lack of a vehicle.   But I will be carefully weighing all factors up as well as I can.

 

I am a way yet from making a firm decision re computer - our Australian government budget comes down on next Tuesday 13th May.  And then I like to watch the political and economic commentaries too on TV and plenty of these just after a federal budget.  The result of the budget may well decide for me with major government cutback including to aged pensioners both directly and eventually indirectly.  Only so many dollars on the money tree out the back :)

 

Will keep Phatmass updated and thank you for the prayers........Phatmass is in mine daily......my decision will be prayer founded as well as a talk with my SD prior to any sort of decision  Over the years the computer has extended my awareness and sense of community......and while I know that change is possible, it's by far not a welcomed tackle.

 

Barb :)

[BarbTherese]

Another thing that has just occurred to me is that the computer is my way of staying in touch with what happens in The Church and this is important to me.  The computer has also become a resource for spiritual reading.  Without a computer, costs for books etc. will go up quite high.  These are important factors that I need to talk about with my spiritual director and there may be more factors as I continue to pray about and reflect on life with a computer and life without one.  I think I am going to need a pros and cons list to discuss with him. My problem is that financially, I cannot see how I can cut down anywhere else.  Although this reflection will only take place once I can assess the actual impact of the federal budget on income.  I do suspect that we are being scared deliberately by the government pre budget, so that when it does come down we will be relieved since suggested fears have not eventuated. 

 

I must state too that I am absolutely grateful to be in government housing and can pay my bills and provide food.  There is a little left over, but it quickly disappears with unexpected and unbudgeted by me expenses.  Ah well, one does not vow (even privately) poverty to eliminate one factor of it.

[Catherine Therese]

BarbaraTherese - many public libraries in my area (I'm in NSW) offer free internet - either you can bring your own laptop in if your computer is a laptop, and connect to the internet there. Most libraries also have computers there at the library for public use, too, so if you don't have a laptop you can still go to a public library and have the use of free internet as often as daily if you wanted.

If you need help figuring out what is available in your area (pretty sure you live in a diff state, right?) and you'd like some assistance, PM me and I can help you out.

[Catherine Therese]

BTW, I'm on Telstra Prepaid for my mobile phone and it gives me all the internet I need (and as a postgrad student I'm constantly downloading journal articles and whatnot, and watching video lectures online, so I use quite a bit) - also some great rates for calls to the US so I can be in touch with old convent buddies :)

But you might wanna give Telstra a look before you give up altogether. Still far from perfect, but better than Optus.

[BarbTherese]

Thank you, CT.  Been giving it thought for a while now and loss of the internet really would be a major loss to me.  Next step will be a talk with my spiritual director and get his opinion.  Thank you for the Telstra hint.

I do have a very old mobile (fallen apart a few times, in pets' water twice) and all I do is send text and talk i.e. no internet.  With Optus I get unlimited text free and 2hrs talking time monthly and more than enough for me - no problems at all with internet speed and I get 2G montly and again, more than enough for me and I have never yet gone anywhere near 2G.  On the Optus site, I can monitor my usage through the month and where I am at usage wise.  But if I do decide to keep the internet, I will be looking carefully and for a while at alternatives, hence thanks again re Telstra. :)

It's the small print that can be concerning when changing.

[CatherineM]

I didn't have internet at home for several years. I found lots of places to go online.