Did they mean "thing" in the title?
Yep, my bad
Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
31–40 of 278 posts
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#32Some people are alcoholics. They can't exist near an open can of beer without their life going to shambles. But most people aren't and don't have the urge to binge drink. I'm not sure how this is any different. The author of this article is an Internetaholic, therefore I should cut my tether to the Internet? And what of my LTE connection?
I see it a lot particularly with regard to facebook. People take "I have a problem" and turn it in to "this thing is a problem".
This
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#33I wish there were better ways to regulate your own access. It's easy enough to make good decisions about where you spend your time when you're in a good frame of mind, but it's almost impossible to do that every minute of every day. It's a bit like eating I think. It's not too hard to buy healthy food when you're at the grocery store, but it's hard to say no to a plate of cookies every time you walk past when they're sitting on your table.
I wish there were good software solutions, like a way to schedule a blacklist of websites on your phone and computer that you simply couldn't get around. Almost everything I've seen is set up to block access for children, or is easily bypassed. I feel like it's an area that could be a huge benefit to a lot of people.
Completely killing your home internet is extreme. I'd have to change careers, hobbies, and it would even interfere with friendships. But there's no reason why it has to be all or nothing.
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#34I get this, I really do. I wish I could dump the Internet for some of my home life. But unfortunately my home life is polluted by work. I'm a web developer who maintains an entity with multiple domains. One of them is a 24/7 uptime service. So I'd love to follow this advice, but I don't think it is applicable to many viewers at HN, as many of us need to follow our job. What good advice would any viewer give to a life…
I struggle with some demons when it comes to the internet, mostly in terms of distractions and time wasting. Alcohol problems run in my family, and while I have no problems with it now or in the past, I find my addictive tendencies come out in regards to the internet and its content.
I've learned that I am very sensitive to physical spaces in my life, and I have made an effort to set "space boundaries" for myself to help with my tendencies. For example, I got rid of my desktop computer, replaced it with a laptop, and got rid of my desk in my room. It was calling me every day to sit down and use my computer for hours on end. It's been that way since childhood - the habit is deeply ingrained.
Now, I use my room for relaxation and I try to keep it that way. I'm not perfect, but when I have to work from home I make sure I don't do it in my room. I sit at the dining room table most times, and that has become a "work space" for me. I've trained myself to not work in my room, and, while I still use my computer and the internet in there, I only use it for personal things.
This solution is still in flux for me. So far it has been successful in turning my room into a relaxation space, which was a real lack in my life before. I hope that helps!
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#35I don't think this is the correct solution. It's like chopping off your nose to avoid cold. Rather, try more self restraint or self control. - Install a nanny software to block time-sink sites at specific time (chrome nanny was an awesome tool) - Schedule appointments in advance with your friends/relatives to keep the relationships active - Enroll in social events to be around with people and work for a cause you car…
A famous author once made the following observation - When faced with the option of either doing more exercise or less eating for losing weight, take the option which requires you to a) spend less time and b) not add anything new to your life (i.e. the cognitive overhead).
Apparently, people who tried to eat less were also more successful in losing weight.
Cutting off home internet is the option of less eating. Seems more drastic, but is actually more tuned to how our brains work.
Your suggestion is similar to doing more exercise. It can also work, but it is just a whole lot more work and cognitive overhead.
Besides, its not like the author is asking people to go off the grid.
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#36Some people are alcoholics. They can't exist near an open can of beer without their life going to shambles. But most people aren't and don't have the urge to binge drink. I'm not sure how this is any different. The author of this article is an Internetaholic, therefore I should cut my tether to the Internet? And what of my LTE connection?
An alcohol manufacturer rarely has an army of designers, data scientists and engineers working non-stop to make their product more addictive and measuring their success on engagement growth.
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#37Some people are alcoholics. They can't exist near an open can of beer without their life going to shambles. But most people aren't and don't have the urge to binge drink. I'm not sure how this is any different. The author of this article is an Internetaholic, therefore I should cut my tether to the Internet? And what of my LTE connection?
Raising awareness of internetaholism doesn't seem like a terrible idea.
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#38> I need the Internet for ...workwork...
> You probably don’t, and maybe it’s time to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself.
That's where I stopped reading as obviously this article is not directed at me.
Unless there is a way to troubleshoot and fix remote servers in the middle of the night without internet.
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#39Some people are alcoholics. They can't exist near an open can of beer without their life going to shambles. But most people aren't and don't have the urge to binge drink. I'm not sure how this is any different. The author of this article is an Internetaholic, therefore I should cut my tether to the Internet? And what of my LTE connection?
> And what of my LTE connection?
I was wondering this too after reading the "call to action" -- do I get to keep my data plan? (Did the author keep his?) I assume the answer is supposed to be no, but that might be good to note explicitly as this wouldn't be nearly as life-changing if taken a little too literally. (Not to be too nitpicky -- the article makes great points!)
Re: Removing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing I've Done
#40> I need the Internet for ...workwork... > You probably don’t, and maybe it’s time to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. That's where I stopped reading as obviously this article is not directed at me. Unless there is a way to troubleshoot and fix remote servers in the middle of the night without internet.
Yes I agree with you and I think, for people with our type of needs, a more sensible approach would be to switch from smart to dumb phone, in fact I have been thinking about that for a while now.