I will say that I believe any one can unplug for a week or two if they really want to. If you 'can't' it's probably because you have chosen to make yourself dependent on it. Whether its for business reasons, family reasons or whatever. How did we festivate 7 or 8 years ago? That said..... Whatever I think about it, I want anybody to be able to join in the fun even if they do need to be tied to their device.
My job really does require me to be plugged in. As a contractor, I don't have the luxury of paid vacation time, and the expectation of my clients is that I'm available pretty much constantly. I can't afford to tell them to kiss off for a week so I can be free of my electronic shackles. I guess the technology can be blamed for that. Pre-cell phone festivation was probably possible because our bosses and clients didn't expect us to go all year without a completely "unplugged" vacation. It sucks, but it's reality for many of us. On the brighter side, if I can stay somewhat connected, as a telecommuter, I can sneak off to a few extra festivals each year without any harm done.
That said, at Telluride, I've been mostly okay with just working at a coffee shop with wifi if I needed to. I did have to put out a fire or two for a client on Thursday, but I was able to get cell service away from Town Park, and I hadn't really partied down yet that day, so it was cool. Thank goodness they didn't call me on Wednesday after the Town Park Cup, though. Yowza.
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