Quote:
Originally Posted by s_stabeler
I was talking about starvation in the sense of starving to death-
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I know but while in theory that sounds like a brilliant idea selling the laptop only gets you one maybe two meals. This doesn't solve your starving to death problem only prolongs it by a few days.
That was the point I was trying to make it's the modern day equivalent of "You're starving to death Bobby so why don't you trade me your fishing pole for this fish."
Bobby now starves to death Friday instead of Monday. Whereas in the real world if things are getting that dire he can reach out with the laptop to millions of people and resources that may help him. Without that laptop he got one nice last meal before he dies and that's it.
It always sounds good in theory to give away something to solve a short term problem and like you said we get pissed when "but why aren't you willing to part with "luxury item" for survival" The thing is though computers stopped being a luxury item sometime in the last decade.
You're right a cell phone is important for contact as well. However you can't apply for jobs with a phone. Most jobs even the lowest end fast food jobs don't accept walk in applications anymore. This on top of the fact that while the laptop you have can be paid for free and clear you have to keep paying to use a cell phone.
If you are in such dire straits that you would contemplate selling the one resource giving you a shot at survival to eat then you sure as hell don't have the money to maintain a cell phone. Whereas if you can use your laptop to connect to free internet you can use your laptop to make free phone calls to anyone domestically.
Google has a phone call function where if for some reason I don't have a phone I can still use the internet to call anyone in the continental United States and it won't cost me a dime. People underestimate the sheer usefulness of a laptop computer. If you wind up homeless that's the one thing you should never ever get rid of even if you're starving to death.
Unless you've given up hope and just want one last good meal before you go.
PS. Also that laptop computer when living in poverty or working poor can make the difference between developing an addiction or not. When you're choices are use WiFi Hot Spots to enjoy free entertainment or drugs you will most likely choose the former. But if your choices are drugs or watch paint dry well it's kind of a no brainer.
I have had times when I wasn't starving to death but I had to decide whether I paid for my internet or my phone. My internet won everytime. And it was the right call I got jobs got back on my feet and got a phone back.
Keeping the phone instead would have meant starvation and homelessness as phones are very simple things that don't do us much good when it comes to getting things done.