Wow, I didn't expect my first submission to hit the front page. Should have done that third edit I decided to forego.
There are some good replies here. The only point I want to make is that the people accusing me of lacking self-control are 100% correct.
I disconnected my internet not because I see no value in it (far from it), but rather because unfettered access was taking too much time away from other things that I value.
Lest you get the wrong idea, I'm quite capable of avoiding the internet. I wrote ~350,000 (profitable) words last year. I got lots of other things done, too.
But, I had to use up willpower at all times to avoid the easy pleasure of surfing the web. It was unpleasant.
Most of my work is on the computer - I'm no technophobe. It's so much easier to use my computer now that it mostly does work related things unless I'm in a cafe.
I readily admit that some people may have no trouble with the internet and self-control. That's great - you have all the advantages of limitless information, and none of the disadvantages of distraction.
Many people, unfortunately, are more like me. The internet is valuable for us, but a potential pitfall. I'm hardly the first to point this out, pg had an essay on point.
There are some good replies here. The only point I want to make is that the people accusing me of lacking self-control are 100% correct.
I disconnected my internet not because I see no value in it (far from it), but rather because unfettered access was taking too much time away from other things that I value.
Lest you get the wrong idea, I'm quite capable of avoiding the internet. I wrote ~350,000 (profitable) words last year. I got lots of other things done, too.
But, I had to use up willpower at all times to avoid the easy pleasure of surfing the web. It was unpleasant.
Most of my work is on the computer - I'm no technophobe. It's so much easier to use my computer now that it mostly does work related things unless I'm in a cafe.
I readily admit that some people may have no trouble with the internet and self-control. That's great - you have all the advantages of limitless information, and none of the disadvantages of distraction.
Many people, unfortunately, are more like me. The internet is valuable for us, but a potential pitfall. I'm hardly the first to point this out, pg had an essay on point.
http://www.paulgraham.com/addiction.html
I'd be interested to know if he ever figured out a workable system. He posted somewhere on here that his dual computer system eventually broke down.