But, what if you are not, or even don't want to be, on the internet?

Woodmouse49 yes that's our only other option, thank you!

Spangler
To those who think that they are of no interest. I've got some news for you
Oh dear. You really don't have any idea of what's going on, do you? All that you have written is common knowledge to ( I like to think) the majority of posters on GN.

For your own peace of mind dont start searching for the stuff that they really really don't want you to know.

Thank you - I will pass this on to my children (they both live in different areas from me) .

I wasn’t intending to come across as ungrateful to my mum - it is kind of her to give them presents - I was making the point that when people work full-time (particularly as modern jobs are rarely even 9-5, never mind banking hours) and branches are few and far between, it can be difficult to use ‘in-person’ services.

Spangler here's some info on pre-paid cards.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/prepaid-cards/

This came courtesy of "The Oldie";

"The latest data from the Office for National Statistics in Great Britain show that in February, 96% of households had internet access – up from 57% in 2006.
That sounds like a lot, but it means that over one million households did not have internet access, which also sounds like a lot to me, and on top of that amongst the 96% will be a good number who barely have access."
Good Health;

I don’t understand people who are contributing on here who say they don’t use the internet.

Maybe they don't count mobile phones as internet service-

MerylStreep

Spangler
To those who think that they are of no interest. I've got some news for you
Oh dear. You really don't have any idea of what's going on, do you? All that you have written is common knowledge to ( I like to think) the majority of posters on GN.

For your own peace of mind dont start searching for the stuff that they really really don't want you to know.

For my own peace of mind don't start searching for stuff that they, really, really, don't want you to know.

I'm sorry if I seem thick, but who exactly are "they?"

What your remarks come across as is that Gransnetters are not bothered by trivial data collection, as many have said, who cares?

Now if I have got that right, can you tell me why so many are getting their knickers in a twist over Gransnet harvesting their personal data?
www.gransnet.com/forums/chat/1283269-I-am-leaving-due-to-the-consent-message

I can’t imagine life without the internet or technology and use it constantly for home and work. I do sometimes baulk at having to download an app for every frigging thing though.

The people who are left out are the ones like my mum (89) who has never used it and couldn’t now anyway because her sight is poor. But she has me to sort out everything so that’s ok. But what do older people with no internet and no family to help do? I deal with a lot of people like this in my job (GP medical secretary) who need help to navigate everything.

I'm sorry if I seem thick, but who exactly are "they"
Spangler You need to know that I am currently Meryl's No.1 "Saddoe".! She told me so, a while back, but if you are bidding for the title you're welcome; she's probably sharpening up her ceremonial sword already.
I'll forward the Certificate of Title when you reveal an Internet address! Take great care of it!
OoRoo

There are many areas in U.S. that do not have internet services and limited if any cell service-

Not everyone counts- Day in, day out, it's their normal- They cannot contribute to the discussion even when it pertains to them-

But I do live in a country where people without available internet can be pressured by corporations to pay a bill by internet to save the corporation cost on paper, pressure them to care about the environment even when most of the country doesn't care about them-

Kitty It is sad for those who haven't embraced the latest technology for whatever reason, lack of confidence, lack of ability or plain old pigheadedness. Life must be very difficult and will be more so as we progress further.
Also difficult for those who can't afford to pay for fibre optic broadband or a fancy phone to enable a 4G connection as seen recently when some children couldn't access online education.
The final point, as addressed by others, is our total reliance on the system. Power cuts in the future may find us relying on people like your brother to show us the long forgotten ability to cope manually.

^Peardrop50 Sun 16-Aug-20 16:38:48
Kitty It is sad for those who haven't embraced the latest technology for whatever reason, lack of confidence, lack of ability or plain old pigheadedness. Life must be very difficult and will be more so as we progress further.^

What I don't follow is that the internet is lauded for convenience and then there are threads about store closures like Debenhams, along with sympathies for the 14,000 redundant staff. Do you, or don't you, want the High Street?

Pigheaded I might be, but I'm still going to shop in the shops, bank at the bank and pay bills at the Post Office. And I can assure you Peardrop50, life ain't difficult at all.

Not the high street as it currently is - no.

I agree with you kittylester.

Didn't mean to offend you Spangler please don't take my remarks personally, I'm sure you're not pigheaded.
To be honest I haven't been shopping in a town or city for many years. Partly because I live in the sticks so shop online or occasionally out of town retail parks.
I have visited towns and cities though but like to enjoy their galleries, museums, churches, castles, etc.
I'm probably a bit odd but I don't enjoy shopping.
I do think the High Street as a shopping facility is a fading concept and should be adapted to housing and flats over cafes and bars but that's for another thread.

Peardrop50, please be reassured, no offence taken. I lurked on here for years simply because I didn't have an email address, I watched many threads and saw a number of spats. "Ignore them," I would mentally advise the offended, "you can't have a fight in an empty room."

The problem with forums is that we only have the written word, there's no body language, no eye contact, no gestures or nuances. Get the written word even slightly off the mark and the Sword of Damocles will bring swift retribution.

The term pigheaded is a useful term for stubbornness and although that is how I must appear, the crux of it is that I would rather go without than be subjected to profiling, worse, profiling and having that information sold on.

I'm pig headed.

This empty nest thing? ?For the birds. Yes, that would true, whining about the very achievement that every parent should be so lucky to experience.

Let’s face it. Raising children means hoping from day one, and doing everything possible to make sure, they will thrive and find their own way. So when the kids reach a huge milestone towards that goal, you might think that all parents would give a high five, swig from the grog bottle and do a little jig. You might, in fact, think it’s downright perverse for parents to carry on with the moping, the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Simultaneously, you cherish memories of the helpless babies that they once were, feel great hope for the future, and cry over the realisation that you no longer need to buy milk.

But the situation isn't quite that simple. Much as some people would argue that it is. Perhaps you've met those people? The ones who insist that after the kids are on their own, you need to, as it were, toughen up. The ones who say if any melancholy lingers in your soul once the offspring are tossing Frisbees on sun-dappled beaches, then you have issues. The ones who maintain that when you’re sad, you can't also be happy for your children, and who imply that this might make you selfish, weak, histrionic, or over-invested in your role as the centre of the universe for your children.

I guess it's always easier to see the world in black and white, But in the grey area, where most of us live, one of the marvels of being human involves being able to hold more than one feeling in your heart at any one time.

Yop can lament what is lost even while celebrating what is gained. Simultaneously, you can cherish memories of the little ones they once were, feel great hope for the future, and cry over the realisation that you no longer need to buy milk.

But like so many other parents you will find that your emotions are a potent mix. You have devoted a couple of decades to those babies. All the same, no matter how proud you are of what they have become, it can still come as a shock that they have indeed flown the nest.

How can they possibly be living hundreds of miles from home and wearing size 13 shoes and studying formulas and theories that you cannot even begin to grasp, when surely you could still reach out and take their tiny, grubby little hands in your's to cross the street?

When I was young I got some serious flak for not having children. "What will you do when you're old?" many said. "Do I have kids to be my carers in old age?" I thought, but I kept quiet, instead I said: "In my old age I will probably being in the same care home as you, but I won't be the one looking wistfully out of the window for family who are too busy to visit."

Believe me from your post, you will never have to worry about that. Just wait until you have held your first Grandchild, then come back and tell us how you feel.

Wrong thread, we need an edit button. I do apologise.