The university's internet connection was down all morning (apparently there was a problem with an ISP server). We were told it wouldn't be back all day.

It's perhaps not remarkable that much of my job requires an internet connection for one reason or another. But just about everything I picked up to do yesterday required me to check on this, look at that, use the other. Eventually I did some writing that just needed Word (well, it needed the internet too - but that bit could wait).

At lunch R, from the loans desk, brightly said "oh, is the internet down?" and made a barbed remark how would she know give she's not being allowed to do the work we should be doing on our Facebook page. (That's a rant for another day).

I know we've come to view the internet as 'always there' and very very reliable these days. I remember a decade or more ago when I'd take OHP backups of my training to students just in case I couldn't get a connection for live demonstrations. (And had to use them once with a poor colleague turning over a huge pile of them over the hour...) It's not helped in my case by having the internet at home as well, and thanks to a friend's wireless help available to my laptop as well as the PC. But with that reliability comes reliance... and then the suspicion that is so mission critical for some of our jobs that it's a surprise there's no back up Plan B.

Fortunately the ISP had evidently pulled their finger out and we had our connection back after lunch. Much audible relief from around the campus.

But it gives me pause for thought about just how much I'm plugged in a feel disconnected when it's gone. For the ultimate case of that... try Manfred Macx's nightmare when he's mugged in Charles Stross' novel _Accelerando_.