Matthew 5:29, modified for today:
If your computer causes you to sin, turn it off and go outside. It is better for you to miss out on an engrossing Twitter brawl than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
Or something like that.
I've been writing a daily blog for more than 15 years. Recently, I've begun to wonder what it has done to me. What would happen if I turned off the Internet for a prolonged period of time? I already know at least part of the answer as I have allowed many other projects go to seed while I surf the web and write.
I don't have a current list of goals. The old goals that I've got, like finishing up the clutch repair on my MGB and learning to make sauces, aren't getting done. It's not that I don't have time, it's that I want to check the web just one more time or I have to post something for today and I've really got nothing to share.
I've read plenty of essays describing how the Internet in general and social media in particular changes your personality and I believe them to be true. To find out how it has changed me, I'm going to quit it for a month. No blogging, no Twitter and no Instapundit for all of November. I'll still post to Facebook from time to time, but everything I share and everyone I follow only discuss family events and fun. In any case, I go to FB rarely, so it's not a big deal.
The Rules
- I can use the Internet for education and research as much as I want.
- I can use the computer to journal, rewrite my goals and manage my personal Jira project for tracking tasks.
- I cannot blog or use Twitter in any way.
- I cannot visit my favorite news or pundit sites.
- I can read my favorite sports sites.
The Chain Of Events
The biggest change will be turning off The Scratching Post for the month. Doing that will alter what I do in the morning. Instead of making coffee and planting my butt in my computer chair, I'll make my coffee and ... do what? Read a book? Sit in the hot tub? Experiment with breakfasts? Go into the garage and putter? I'll certainly get to the gym earlier.
I'm actually really excited about this.
I can't wait to blog about what I discover. :-)
Love you guys. Have a great November. See you in December.
7 comments:
Ok, see you when you get back!
I've made $84,000 so far this year working online and I'm a full time student. I’m using an online business opportunity I heard about and I've made such great money. It's really user friendly and I'm just so happy that I found out about it. The potential with this is endless. Here’s what I do... Www.JobNews1.com
Enjoy your palate cleanser
You might find it so pleasant you'll decide to not come back. You'd be much missed but also provide us with pleasant thoughts knowing you'd escaped!
I deleted my FaceBook account years ago, Instagram at least 2 years ago, and twitter last year.
I held out on twitter trying to follow the sports I was interested in. It didn't work, twitter was (is?) just infected by politics. And all my pro sports teams suck.
Social Media just exists to destroy society.
I’ve been considering completely walking away from socialist media. Maybe this is the push I needed.
In any case, enjoy the time off.
Enjoy your fast!
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