For most of Saturday (16) my Internet was down. It was fine up to 8:30am and then was no more. Like a car that was working fine when you left it and when you come back it won’t start.

Frustrating but actually having no Internet is much worse. It did come back around 2pm for less than 30seconds. The relief I had was short lived. It sort of made me feel a bit like Miss Colombia who was the announced winner of the Miss Universe contest only to be told moments later you are not. I actually was waiting for Steve Harvey to ring me and apologise it was his fault.

What, however, would happen if the world’s Internet was to shut down without warning forever?

Scary thought now isn’t it? Especially for us who use it every single day and for most of the time we are awake. It is only when we sleep we do not use it.

Looking on the Internet quickly whilst it is working I found a number of articles asking the same question but they were limiting the time from a few days to two weeks.

I did, however, find one – courtesy of the UK Mirror:

‘If the internet goes down, half the planet will come to a standstill’: why ‘preppers’ will be the last ones standing

By Jeff Parsons From Mirror UK

As we rely more and more on technology, Mirror Online meets a survival expert that tells it like it is

These days the world is a scary place to live in.

If there’s not an asteroid on its way to obliterate us or terrorists plotting our imminent downfall, there’s the dangers of giant online data hacks or complete economic collapse.

But when the end does arrive, there are a few people who aren’t just able to cope with the apocalypse – they’ve been actively preparing for it.

These people call themselves ‘preppers’ or ‘survivalists’ and they belong to a vast underground community. When the ATMs stop running or the internet goes down, they’ll be the ones that make it out alive.

“Its a huge community, especially in the States. But in the UK it’s becoming more and more recognised,” explained Steve Hart, the man behind the UK’s top prepping website: ukpreppersguide.co.uk.

“Prepping itself is just another form of insurance. People have life, car or pet insurance for the “what ifs” – this is just looking at a “what if” from a slightly different perspective.

“What if a serious earthquake hits? Or a tsunami or a volcano or even a bio-terrorism attack,” said Steve, whose website racks up around 100,000 hits a month.

Admittedly, those situations are a little unlikely – but 59-year-old Steve sets us straight pretty quickly.

“What if the government starts acting up? That’s the number one fear among most preppers: economic collapse.

“The next thing you know the whole world is plummeting down to a position you can’t get out of.”

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And technology?

“If anything to do with the internet goes down, half the planet will come to a standstill,” Steve told Mirror Online, citing the fact that we work, bank and socialise online in the 21st century. “99% of your life relies on technology.”

He recognises that many of these apocalyptic scenarios won’t come to pass, but calmly suggests it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Some of the hallmarks of prepping involve keeping stockpiles of food in your house – enough to last a week or so if the power goes out – and learning survival skills for how to cope in the natural world.
Top tips to start prepping

Keep at least a week’s worth of food in your house. Tinned foods are best
When it comes to vehicles, anything built pre-1980 is a better choice. It will be easier to repair in the event of an emergency because it’s mechanical rather than technological
Get hold of the basics: A good sleeping bag, water filtration tablets and a decent knife

He also suggests limiting your reliance on technology, filling up a couple of spare jerrycans with petrol and learning how to filtrate water. Seasons can also play a part – if it’s cold, how are you going to heat your house?

Steve Hart
Steve Hart is a master prepper, and a guy who knows what to do when things go bad

“Go home and try it,” Steve said.

“Halfway through cooking tea, turn off all your electrics. Try it for an hour. Or a week, and see how you get on. Have you got anything in the house that will let you keep on living without power?”

Prepping may be an underground community in the UK at the moment but, ironically, a few minutes on the internet will help those interested in learning more find out where to go.

The end of the world may not be around the corner, but there’s no harm in being a little prepared.

SOURCE: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/if-internet-goes-down-half-6310887

I never thought of prepping but I did cook my lunch early and sat down and listened to Radio Cayman and watched a very old Christopher Lee movie where he played Rasputin.

In Rasputin’s day they didn’t have Internet but they did have a mad monk who went around seducing women and running Russia. Why did I keep thinking of Putin whilst I was watching it?

And Putin can actually read what I have just written on the Internet….

Scary….