There have been lots of stories here in Austin about blackouts and people/companies being left in the dark for several days due to severe storm and tornado group that blew through the area this week.
It reminded me of the difference and similarities between blackouts and virtual blackouts. At BuildASign.com, not just our website, but many of our backend processes, emails, documents and files are stored and accessed through the internet, and having our Internet go down (virtual blackout) causes nearly as much trouble and annoyance as an actual electrical blackout.
Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often as we pay for robust internet connections and have several backup means, but it has happened before for several hours as we switch to backups and is eerie in its own way. Offices and people suddenly struck with the inability to do their work despite the fact that lights and air conditioning are functioning. It’s times like those that our pushes toward paperless systems lose their appeal; signs stop rolling off the printers and work ceases.
Sort of like rain while the sun is shining, I often wonder how stable the internet will remain as it gets upgraded and adapted in the future, not to mention the susceptibility to disasters such as the China Earthquake or Myanmar Storms which took out entire country regions.
