I've gone offline for a week or so. While I was doing my masters I only used the internet while at school, mainly to do research.
It felt good, didn't feel like vast swaths of time just disappeared into nothingness.
It felt good, didn't feel like vast swaths of time just disappeared into nothingness.
I think the main difference is that, with the internet available, there is never really any time when I have nothing to do: there is always something interesting I could read, discuss, or do. But without the internet, there are all these bits of down time, e.g. I've finished breakfast but have 20 minutes before I need to leave to go somewhere.
Despite the overload of information on the net, very often I find myself sitting there in the evening, no new emails to look at, nothing new on Twitter or HN, and I think "Well, I've caught up on the Internet again." Then I wait five minutes and do another round of compulsively checking email, HN and Twitter. And another.
And next thing you know, hours have passed and I've done virtually nothing productive.
I'm about to move house and I am purposely leaving the phone/net connection until last so I'm forced to go a few weeks without the net at home until it's sorted out. I used to garden, cook, read, etc and more recently I barely find time for any of these things.
Sometimes, the busier you feel, the less you're getting done. At least, in my experience.
Me too and that is the problem I think a lot of us face (maybe most won't admit it?). It is so easy to loose focus.
The author mentioned the MacDowell Colony (http://www.macdowellcolony.org) and after checking it out I think something like this would be really cool for developers. I guess it is similar to YC in some ways, but more focused on taking away all outside distractions.
I do use my desktop computer for gaming, surfing the web and other purely recreational activities, but at least I'm not kidding myself when I do. Before I would tell myself that I was doing something useful, while I would get into the "loop" you're talking about. Now I read and watch video less, but I read and watch things I actually like.
Would still be useful for very specific days of intensive offline work.
Wondered about a net-jar (like a swear jar). Clock my non-work traffic at some outrageous rate, and my wife gets to spend the proceeds on shoes (well, more shoes)...