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Would you rather have slow internet or slow traffic for the rest of your life?

Posted by Jackie (SWZD) 2022-05-16T11:07:11Z
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We all remember life before rapid internet connections. What would life be like if we still had dial-up internet and had to agonizingly wait for every page to load up, or wait 5 minutes for Alexa to respond to every question?

Wi-Fi is awesome when it is fast, and maddening otherwise. But what's worse? We want to know whether you would sacrifice your super speedy connection for other areas in your life where the wait is similarly unbearable. What would you trade away?  Let us know in the poll below! 

Would you rather have slow internet or slow traffic for the rest of your life?

656 votes by 508 users
Submit your vote

  • Slow fast-food service, fast internet

    334 votes (51%)

  • Slow road traffic, fast internet

    191 votes (29%)

  • Slow internet, no road traffic

    92 votes (14%)

  • No grocery store queues, slow internet

    21 votes (3%)

  • Other, tell us below

    18 votes (3%)

Pepper graySpice (81) Reply (106)
User: Jackie (SWZD)

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  • Fast internet probably wastes more time than slow traffic.  We need a sweet spot where the internet is fast enough to work with, but not fast enough to stream videos or browse social media.  From experience during mid-late 2020, no traffic on the roads is bliss.

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    106 Replies

    • Fast internet probably wastes more time than slow traffic.  We need a sweet spot where the internet is fast enough to work with, but not fast enough to stream videos or browse social media.  From experience during mid-late 2020, no traffic on the roads is bliss.

      Pepper graySpice (30) flagReport
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    • with slow road traffic it would be like normal traffic in the uk, but you can at least adapt to that, and then set off earlier.

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    • ckcoder wrote:

      We need a sweet spot where the internet is fast enough to work with, but not fast enough to stream videos or browse social media. 

      Would be impossible, social media is often lower bandwidth than a lot of work-tasks/research, unfortunately.

      Pepper graySpice (13) flagReport
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    • Fast food service is already slow.  I don't really eat fast food much so it wouldn't bother me.

      Pepper graySpice (20) flagReport
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    • deanmoncaster wrote:

      with slow road traffic it would be like normal traffic in the uk, but you can at least adapt to that, and then set off earlier.

      Everything I know about traffic in the UK I learned from "Top Gear." 

      Seems fine (as long as Richard Hammond isn't driving).

      Pepper graySpice (11) flagReport
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    • Slow road traffic.  I work from home so, the faster the Internet, the better.

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    • Spicy Joseph wrote:

      ckcoder wrote:

      We need a sweet spot where the internet is fast enough to work with, but not fast enough to stream videos or browse social media. 

      Would be impossible, social media is often lower bandwidth than a lot of work-tasks/research, unfortunately.

      I hate when I'm looking something up and the only results are videos.  I prefer to read, and reading doesn't take much bandwidth.  Until you add all the advertising.  Does SW count as social media or research?

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    • I'll take open roads any day.  I live in rural America, and even I noticed a dramatic difference in 2020, and would gladly have it back, assuming I didn't have to suffer through something like a pandemic to get it.  I'm rarely on my computer outside of work, and if it's slow while I'm working, I really don't care as long as I'm getting paid for it!
      Pepper graySpice (16) flagReport
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    • Fast internet. Working from home who cares about traffic? Also, I imagine some future generation of self driving cars is going to require high bandwidth networking and eliminate traffic altogether.

      Pepper graySpice (3) flagReport
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    • I work from home, so what do I care about traffic anymore? That said, I wish I had a high bandwidth option where I live, so gimme that fast internet please!!!

      Pepper graySpice (7) flagReport
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    • I could simply avoid fast food entirely, as I rarely eat there to begin with. Alternatively, although it'd be painful, I could handle slow internet in exchange for COVID-level traffic. That was wonderful.

      Pepper graySpice (9) flagReport
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    • Can't I have it all?

      Since I'm working from home now the Slow traffic isn't so much of an issue.

      For the record, living in Exeter (a small city in the UK) when I used to commute to the other side of town my trip computer reckoned I was averaging 11mph!

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    • I would have picked slow fast food but most of the time I wind up in some drive thru queue hell because the car in front seems to contain people who have either never ordered fast food or they need to read the entire board out loud, just like people in theaters reading the credits.

      Pepper graySpice (5) flagReport
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    • Already have slow road traffic most days  ;-)

      Pepper graySpice (3) flagReport
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    • I turned off the internet at my house and sold my computers, server, switch, and TVs. Slow internet is fine with me, thanks :D

      Pepper graySpice (6) flagReport
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    • I would rather fast traffic and fast internet lol

      Pepper graySpice (8) flagReport
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    • I picked slow fast-food because I don't eat fast food. :)

      Pepper graySpice (4) flagReport
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    • I generally only get fast food like once a month at most as is, so I could easily just not get it period.

      Pepper graySpice (5) flagReport
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    • If you give me back the COVID time traffic, will you give me back the COVID time gas prices?

      Pepper graySpice (11) flagReport
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    • Try to stay away from Fast Food so..... 
      Pepper graySpice (3) flagReport
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    • I work from home so, the faster the Internet, the better.



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    • Rarely go to fast food joints, easy choice.  Much rather see Jimmy and his crew at Uncle Giuseppes deli.

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    • Slow fast-food service, fast internet 

      It seems like every time I go to get fast food the service is either slow or the restaurant doesn't have what I want any way.

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    • I love slow traffic and long commutes. It gives me plenty of time to listen to music or a podcast. It's also typically the only "me-time" I get.

      Slow internet would be torture nowadays. 

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    • If fast food was slow, would it no longer be fast food?

      Image: post content

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    • That's tough choice... Though given that I know what it was like with slow or no Internet back in the days I would rather have fast Internet than anything. Also now that is a big part of my job. At least you can yell at the traffic and that can hear you unlike the Internet. lol

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    • Given how prevalent "Work From Home" has become since COVID, this should be a no brainer. Fast internet and most people don't even need to enter traffic.

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    • I'm working from home, so no traffic will bother me least. Even thought it will affect deliveries etc. Maybe it would encourage more to stay home ;-)

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    • I have a five-mile round trip to work each day, and am lucky to get 25mbps at home. Gimme that fibre! SPEEEEEEEED!

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    • ckcoder wrote:

       Does SW count as social media or research?

      Research of course!! 

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    • Ever since the start of the pandemic, it can typically take just as long to drive though a fast food place as to just park and go in and sit down for a meal.  And with gas prices spiraling upwards, driving is already becoming less of an option.  So, fast internet is the obvious choice.

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    • Hmmm I'm going to go with slow traffic - Slow internet would be torturous! At least I would be able to catch up on Podcasts or listen to an Audiobook in traffic.

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    • I can't fathom sacrificing internet speed. Bring on the slow traffic.

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    • I mostly wfh now so the only driving I do is for groceries and it's not very far to the grocery store and there's not really enough between me and there to cause much traffic so I don't see the 10 other cars I see during that regular trip to be able to slow things down too much but if it takes me 45 minutes instead of 30 for a grocery trip I'll probably not be very put out and I could always just order it to be delivered if it actually got bad somehow.

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    • I am used to slow traffice so it does not bother me. I get irritated with slow internet though. 

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    • dimforest wrote:

      I love slow traffic and long commutes. It gives me plenty of time to listen to music or a podcast. It's also typically the only "me-time" I get.

      Slow internet would be torture nowadays. 

      I cannot agree more on the slow internet would be torture nowadays... okay, I probably could find a way to agree more but barely!

      I remember when I used to have to wait for a 10 MB update to download and it felt like forever. I actually forgot the feeling of how slow that felt... until I went to my mother's a few years back when she was still on a legacy account for her ISP and was doing a hot 40Mbps. I was getting her system updated and it took forever.

      Just the other day, I had to reinstall Elden Ring, Valheim, and Path of Exile (new SSD). If I had to do that on a slow internet... well, it'd be back to letting things download at night and hoping nothing bad happened. I have no desire to go back to slow internet and still want to get on fiber, hehe!

      Image: post content

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    • We already have slow fast food service in my area, so wouldn't be a huge change.

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    • Life just moves to fast ..... time to slow down and think before reacting (seems that is what the boss wants, instant reaction). 

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    • Being I rarely go to fast food..  I'll take my fast internet

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    • Fast food is contributing to the obesity epidemic in the US.  Maybe if they took longer making it (and used quality food in the first place) we would all be better off. 

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    • The Repairatrooper wrote:

      I would have picked slow fast food but most of the time I wind up in some drive thru queue hell because the car in front seems to contain people who have either never ordered fast food or they need to read the entire board out loud, just like people in theaters reading the credits.

      HAHAHA!!! I think this same thing all the time! I am like, can we please have 2 lanes, one for those people and one for the rest of us who know what we want and how to order?!?!

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    • I remember when it took all night to download a 1MB file across a 14.4 modem. That is if the download did not fail. The internet was so slow you could see the lines fill the screen as the page changed. So I rather not go back to those days almost at any cost.

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    • Traffic is traffic, accidents happen, roads get closed and there are road works—just facts of life in the UK. You can always overcome a slow commute by moving closer to work.

      Slow internet causes slow work and frustration.

      Internet the faster the better.

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    • When it comes to traffic and slow internet, it depends on what you mean by slow. These days, some would say a 5-20Mbps connection is slow. If you were talking that speed, I'd take that any day of the week. if you are talking Pre T1, that would probably be a no.  That and of course there is how many people are sharing the connection. You know how it goes, just like a highway. Internet speed is only as good as the on and off ramps. If you have a 20 lane highway but no way to get off, everyone still sits. Same as the internet. If you have fast connections but still have bad choke points somewhere along the line, does it matter?

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    • CopierGuy310 wrote:

      deanmoncaster wrote:

      with slow road traffic it would be like normal traffic in the uk, but you can at least adapt to that, and then set off earlier.

      Everything I know about traffic in the UK I learned from "Top Gear." 

      Seems fine (as long as Richard Hammond isn't driving).

      ... Or May isn't attempting to turn around while towing a caravan down a B road.

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    • i feel like for the long term fast internet would be more beneficial with faster internet more people can work from home immediately helping the traffic situation ordering food will also be improved with faster internet as orders would come in more in realtime and cam be prepared promptly just my two cents.

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    • "I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now."

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    • Atlanta Always slow and Dirty / for commute
      No issues with Internets.

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    • Slow fast food, fast internet for me. In both my work and home, I need a speedy, solid connection. I rarely eat fast food, so that's not a problem for me. I hate traffic, so any more than I already deal with and I may just quit life XD

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    • I cook a lot at home.   So fast food slow down, and give me HIGH Speed Internet.

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