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Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

sibervepunk.com

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Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#111

Post by purple-leafy »

1dom wrote: post #95
bazmattaz wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ditching social media is a complete no brainer for me. I’ve ditched everything over the years but Reddit. For some reason I keep coming back to it. I really like the communities around specific topics (record collecting, docker, python, sports). I curate my feed so it only serves up content from my niche interests. However even Reddit has become a time suck and endless scroll of low value content. That’s why I keep c…

Sorry to be "that guy", but where and why do you draw a line between social media, Reddit and HN? I do the same, but I don't like it. I "don't use social media", but I use reddit, and I'm commenting here too. I think I'm deluding myself, and I think you might be too. I'd guess what you come to HN and Reddit, and what you get from them both is no different to what a daily Facebook user goes to Facebook and gets. For s…

I think Reddit is just as bad tbh, but I still like HackerNews as its so plain and boring, I hardly use it (at most 20 minutes a day).

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#112

Post by purple-leafy »

tosmatos wrote: post #90
purple-leafy wrote: post #86

Hey I read your article. Have you ever considered: 1) Ditching social media (everything - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn - everything. I don't mean delete the app. I mean delete all your accounts, and all the apps. No going back.) 2) Ditching your smart phone (Buy a brick phone) I'm completely serious. I'm currently living this way, the phone was a recent addition in the last month. But social media, has been for year…

I think that is the way. I also ditched social media, used a brick phone for a while but went back to a smart phone for gps. Don't use it for social media though, since I have none. Although, how do you feel about using your computer to "waste" time? Like spending too much time reading random things you find on the internet, for example.

These are all great questions! GPS is bloody tricky, so lately just for getting to job interviews I use smartphone for GPS. But back to the brick as soon as I get home. I'm going to get a GPS in my car instead.

Computer I don't waste much time, I usually only use it for HackerNews ~20 minutes a day if there is something interesting to read, other than that its a work and coding machine. Some gaming too when I want to relax.

I also use Kagi as my search engine so I basically only get small web websites, not content/advert heavy sites

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#113

Post by zcw100 »

siberpunk wrote: post #104
treyfitty wrote: post #81

> After knowing myself as someone who has always been good with words for years, seeing that I can’t choose the right word when speaking, or that I can’t convey the message or information I want to give more clearly and simply when writing, naturally bothers me Wow. I’ve been dealing with this for a while and it never occurred to me that it may be correlated (or caused by) by my incessant hunt for information and med…

> now I feel FOMO creeping in, perpetuating this incessant need to find others like it… this.. this is what I forgot the mention in the artice. When you find something really good, really relatable, inspiring while you're consuming content, you'll always be wondering what if there's more? and you keep consuming, you keep adding to your bookmarks, your reading list etc.. It gets bigger and bigger, overwhelming at the…

How many browser tabs do you have open right now?

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#114

Post by phist_mcgee »

brightball wrote: post #107
phist_mcgee wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My very first day at a new company I was shown around the office and met my team. At 10.30am I was invited to a mobbing session, where I was asked to contribute to writing to some code. I did not have a single inkling of what the project was in detail or understood anything that was being talked about or written. But I was expected to 'contribute' in a performative way to show that I was useful to the team. It was pe…

Participating in a mob on day 1 is a very common on-boarding experience. If you're driving, the rest of the team should be guiding you. If you're navigating with no knowledge of the project, you should be observing and asking questions. The intention is supposed to be "No pressure, come see how we work and meet the team. Feel free to join in if you see something." There's no faster way to ramp somebody up than onboar…

I don't think it's a good idea at all. Myself and the other new hire were terribly confused, we barely remembered our team member's names, and of course there were nerves on the first day.

I disagree that onboarding this way was the fastest, how could any reasonable person be expected to learn a project going in blind in an atmosphere like that?

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#115

Post by brightball »

phist_mcgee wrote: post #114
brightball wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Participating in a mob on day 1 is a very common on-boarding experience. If you're driving, the rest of the team should be guiding you. If you're navigating with no knowledge of the project, you should be observing and asking questions. The intention is supposed to be "No pressure, come see how we work and meet the team. Feel free to join in if you see something." There's no faster way to ramp somebody up than onboar…

I don't think it's a good idea at all. Myself and the other new hire were terribly confused, we barely remembered our team member's names, and of course there were nerves on the first day. I disagree that onboarding this way was the fastest, how could any reasonable person be expected to learn a project going in blind in an atmosphere like that?

You aren’t supposed to. The team is supposed to help you get setup, help you navigate around the project, essentially telling you what to type almost when you’re in front of the keyboard. You’ll be taking a tour.

When you aren’t in front of the keyboard, everything will continue with somebody else while the rest of the team continues to talk through the problem. On day 1, your only contribution is probably going to be familiarizing yourself with how things are setup and maybe asking some questions.

I think whoever set this up for you did a really poor job of explaining the intention.

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#116

Post by schlonger0009 »

skydhash wrote: post #34
kevinsync wrote: post #27

>> Since graduating from undergraduate studies (which marks exactly one year as I write this post) Author sounds young .. yes, absolutely try to consume less and create more, it's way more life-affirming than the opposite configuration, but: Getting better at your job, like everything else in life, is just a function of time. Show up, and then show up consistently. Put in the time. Be patient. Lead with an open mind…

This. Slow, but consistent is the way to win. Like they say in Rally Racing: Slow is fast and fast is slow. There's no shortcut other than understanding. Which takes time and good input (great books, good mentors, practical experiences,..). And everything is driven by social factors, not technical prowess. The latter helps with solving problem, but the former defines the problem in the first place. Improve your soft…

I agree!

Also, it's "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast".

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#117

Post by liontwist »

Swizec wrote: post #4

What a fantastic essay. Long ago I had the same hunch and likened having the internet around me to running with a parachute. These days I am little better at avoiding consumption, if not worse. I think it's inevitable. And I think on net it may be a good thing. Yes you lose time and focus by dipping your toes into the zeitgeist, but you also make sure you work on things that are relevant. The open vs closed door from…

> zeitgeist

> impactful work

these are opposites in my experience

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#118

Post by bazmattaz »

1dom wrote: post #95
bazmattaz wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ditching social media is a complete no brainer for me. I’ve ditched everything over the years but Reddit. For some reason I keep coming back to it. I really like the communities around specific topics (record collecting, docker, python, sports). I curate my feed so it only serves up content from my niche interests. However even Reddit has become a time suck and endless scroll of low value content. That’s why I keep c…

Sorry to be "that guy", but where and why do you draw a line between social media, Reddit and HN? I do the same, but I don't like it. I "don't use social media", but I use reddit, and I'm commenting here too. I think I'm deluding myself, and I think you might be too. I'd guess what you come to HN and Reddit, and what you get from them both is no different to what a daily Facebook user goes to Facebook and gets. For s…

No you’re not being disagreeable and this is why I love HN - the intelligent discourse!

The way I think about it - and I’m probably wrong about this - is that like there way there are good fats and bad fats. There is good content online and bad content. The good content like good fats feed the brain and are good for your overall wellbeing and development, bad content like bad fats are just damaging to your wellbeing and development as a person.

So if we put the actual websites aside for a minute and said that if someone consumes content from a website that makes them feel better (not a quick dopamine hit) and helps them develop as a person (like learning something new) then maybe that’s ok.

Conversely if they’re just scrolling endlessly consuming content that is just designed for a quick dopamine hit, it doesn’t actually make them feel better longer term or develop them longer term then yeh that’s not ok.

Maybe I’m rambling here but I think regardless of what platform you’re using there is content that feeds the brain in a healthy way and content that negatively affects the brain.

And for me there are certain platforms that use sophisticated algorithms that optimise for engagement regardless of how healthy the content is for the user in the long term. And then there are other platforms (like HN I believe) that have a reputation for high quality intelligent posts that, in most cases, are healthy for users

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#119

Post by xandrius »

purple-leafy wrote: post #86

Hey I read your article. Have you ever considered: 1) Ditching social media (everything - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn - everything. I don't mean delete the app. I mean delete all your accounts, and all the apps. No going back.) 2) Ditching your smart phone (Buy a brick phone) I'm completely serious. I'm currently living this way, the phone was a recent addition in the last month. But social media, has been for year…

I'd love to hear about your non-tech learning goals for 2025, I'm curious!

Re: Digital consumption keeps me from getting better at my job

#120

Post by purple-leafy »

xandrius wrote: post #119
purple-leafy wrote: post #86

Hey I read your article. Have you ever considered: 1) Ditching social media (everything - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn - everything. I don't mean delete the app. I mean delete all your accounts, and all the apps. No going back.) 2) Ditching your smart phone (Buy a brick phone) I'm completely serious. I'm currently living this way, the phone was a recent addition in the last month. But social media, has been for year…

I'd love to hear about your non-tech learning goals for 2025, I'm curious!

Non-tech goals are a bit simpler:

- Job stability

- Commit to gym

- Save XX,XXX etc

- Buy a car

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