Poll: *** 2010 General Election Result & Discussion ***

[Slam62]

of course it's essential, you are at a significant dissadvantage with out the internet.

but you can always go to the library, assuming there are any left in a couple of years.

 

[Andy_82]

How about the elderly, or disabled who rely on it to live? Perhaps being cut off from towns or cities, or perhaps just purely unable to leave the house.

Those that can not do things we take for granted, have discovered a new found freedom to being able to run their lives themselves rather than relying on others. Ordering Food, services, help, advice etc, is all available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Internet in this day and age is essential. Period.

I completely agree. The internet has made a huge difference in many different areas.

 

[Lightnix]

Many foods are not 0%, even juice has vat on it.




There should be no vat on essentials, that's why they hit the poorest hardest. Petrol is considerably more than 5% with duty.

I will give you that, however, I would argue a petrol based car is not an essential and that there are plenty of alternative methods of transportation for the vast majority (of course those who have to travel more than 10 miles to get to work will likely disagree, then again they're likely not the poorest either - though there is also the issue of children who have to get to school when their parents live in a cheap house and so likely far away from their school of choice and may live in an area with poor public transport).

I also think that the vast majority of foods that have VAT are either very cheap to begin with (your example, juice, for a carton can be had for less than a pound at most supermarkets) or are just luxuries (cakes, or eating prepared food out at restaurants). I agree that there are exceptions that shouldn't be there, however. I also agree that electricity and gas shouldn't be taxed at all and are absolutely essential, actually I'd argue at the very least a radio is also essential if nothing else for warnings of disasters, same for a phone, if nothing else at least to contact the emergency services.

 

[Heliospherez]

of course it's essential, you are at a significant dissadvantage with out the internet.

Give me one way I (or anyone for that matter) would be disadvantaged by not having it ? And bear in mind I have had been able to access the Internet quite easily over the last 13 years - and have been away for weeks at a time since then - to countries / places with no net access (and not been disadvantaged in the slightest, or felt that I needed to access the Internet to see stuff)

 

[ethan]

What about the lazy low paid that don't work hard, how do the get hit?

They buy on credit and get hit twice as hard along with the hard working low paid.

 

[James J]

Geeez questiontime is quite heated tonight! lol

 

[Strife212]

You can't get student loans without the internet. You can't even apply to university anymore offline.

 

[robgmun]

Althrough not essential, (ie you will not die or subject to suffering without it) you are serverly hampered in life these days compared to other people. You'll basically be stuck in the level you are now and will not progress far enough

 

[Heliospherez]

You can't get student loans without the internet. You can't even apply to university anymore offline.

Is that right now.....

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Applyingforthefirsttime/DG_171539


Quote "You apply for student loans through the main student finance application. The quickest and easiest way to apply is to do it online. But if this isn’t possible, you can use a paper form."

And you can apply to most Uni courses by phone, post or in person within the UK, as I have - you just can't apply through UCAS (the non-regulated charitable org) as easily for undergraduate courses.

 

[Pudney]

Many foods are not 0%, even juice has vat on it.

Non essential foodstuffs have VAT on them. Essential foodstuffs don't.

Petrol is 65% tax if you hadn't noticed.

That's not what he means by fuel, he means gas and electricity. Petrol is another luxury commodity.

What would be fair is, no VAT on any essentials such as: food, water, gas, electric, petrol, toiletries, postal services. Income tax allowance of £15k and flat tax thereafter, ensuring all income tax is on essentials only.

Essential food, water and postal services are VAT free. Petrol isn't essential, no matter what people might think. It's a convenience. People in the modern day too often confuse convenience (i.e. petrol, the internet) as an essential when it's obviously not if you think about it.

 

[stockhausen]

Geeez questiontime is quite heated tonight! lol

Who was on it?

 

[chriscpritchard]

Is that right now.....

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Educati...dentFinance/Applyingforthefirsttime/DG_171539


Quote "You apply for student loans through the main student finance application. The quickest and easiest way to apply is to do it online. But if this isn’t possible, you can use a paper form."

You can only apply to uni using the internet though. And the paper forms are either availalbe online, or rediculously late from your school/college. If you want your student loans on time its best to do it early (you can only do it using the internet, or by ordering/printing off the paper forms using the internet)

 

[Dj_Jestar]

How about the elderly, or disabled who rely on it to live? Perhaps being cut off from towns or cities, or perhaps just purely unable to leave the house.

Those that can not do things we take for granted, have discovered a new found freedom to being able to run their lives themselves rather than relying on others. Ordering Food, services, help, advice etc, is all available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Internet in this day and age is essential. Period.

Carers for the elderly and disabled. Available 24/7 at the push of a button (on a fob provided to them by said carers) if need be.

The internet is not essential, no matter how "precious" it might be. Period.

Christ, anyone would think the human race simply did not exist without internet and cars.

 

[Pudney]

Seriously, if you're applying to university you should (hopefully) have the intelligence to be able to work out how to do it from school or college. Therefore that isn't an argument that the internet at home is essential.

As for student loan same applies, if you're already at uni, do it at campus.

 

[Heliospherez]

Exactly.

If i'm 65-75 years old - the last thing i'd want is the internet. I'd want someone to chat too in my house. I don't want a webcam. I don't want my son to videoconference me from 3 mile away and show me my grandson in his back garden. I want him next to me to cuddle and chat too every so often.

How simplistic is it that we think we can replace human interaction with an LCD and a mic.

The internet is a long way from essential in my eyes.... and every year using it just makes me realise just how pathetic a replacement to real living it is.

 

[Captain_Slick]

and every year using it just makes me realise just how pathetic a replacement to real living it is.

This, a thousand times over.

Yes, the internet is a great resource of information and a good communication platform but it's not essential. It is there as an addition to your life, not a replacement. It's there to make some things easier and more accessible, not to solely provide them alone.

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

Also pay VAT on glasses, which is absolute BS.

 

[Energize]

Essential food, water and postal services are VAT free. Petrol isn't essential, no matter what people might think. It's a convenience. People in the modern day too often confuse convenience (i.e. petrol, the internet) as an essential when it's obviously not if you think about it.

If you're a sponger I agree petrol isn't essential, for those of us that have to get to work by any transport method using petrol, ie car, taxi or bus, it is not a luxury however. Electricity and gas have a 5% VAT and yet people can't afford to heat their homes ffs.

 

[D.P.]

You can't get student loans without the internet. You can't even apply to university anymore offline.

Luckily, schools, libraries and internet cafes all provide internet.

 

[JamesU2005]

Carers for the elderly and disabled. Available 24/7 at the push of a button (on a fob provided to them by said carers) if need be.

The internet is not essential, no matter how "precious" it might be. Period.

Christ, anyone would think the human race simply did not exist without internet and cars.

Even those that live miles away from the nearest town or city?

I can't believe how narrow minded people on here are, just because you don't believe it is essential doesn't mean it is for millions of others.

Some children are taught at home via the Internet due to various different reasons, perhaps due to mental/physical issues, location etc.

Elderly, disabled or the house bound can now use the Internet as a way of not relying so much on others, it is a way for them to still live some of their lives independently. Don't give me the rubbish that no OAPs use the net because it's the fast becoming big business, why do you think Microsoft are developing a special version of Windows for this age group.

No one should not have easy access to the Internet, far too much information will soon be only accessible via the Internet. If we act now and make the Internet essential we can help develop the skills of the old and young to best use the net and develop it further to become an even greater tool for good and help.

Think about the bigger picture and how the Internet has done so much good for people.

The Internet is essential.