193: Out of the Internet and Into the Wild

[L.B. Jeffries]

Out of the Internet and Into the Wild

What do you miss when you spend five days without the internet? As L.B. Jeffries discovers, not as much as you might think.

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[Labyrinth]

There is no such thing as true privacy on the Internet. Not only forums and photographs, but the people one meets and the very manner one holds oneself in have a huge effect on future potential. It's easier than ever for such things to come back and bite us as search engines such as Google expand more and every IP address logged somewhere, somehow.

Just because you're not paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you.

 

[zero_zumi]

Interesting article, thanks.

 

[Falien]

Interesting read. Me and my wife both spend lots of time online - she scouring the internet for information of professional and personal interest, me "tanking" something-or-other on World of Warcraft. We recently took a one-week vacation away from home and placed a little bet to see which of us would last the longest without a computer and the internet. We had access to both if we wanted to, the idea was to see who would show the most self-restraint. Surprisingly, it was my wife who crumbled after just two days - she just had to check her e-mail, which led to her checking her favourite forum, and so on.

I quit WoW because of that vacation. My wife, however, got herself a netbook which she can carry around in her bag to get online whenever she wants to. It's a funny old world...

 

[Clemenstation]

"Almost all of us have posted a comment or written a response to something with the sole purpose of being read by someone else. We are all here for that slice of recognition, whatever its size or scale."

Hi, my name is Clemenstation and I'm here to comment. Your article was nice, and I bet you probably had a great time playing outside and going for walks in the woods. Can you validate my parking... er, post?

 

[runedeadthA]

I once had to wait for my computer to be fixed. It ended up taking over a month (the faulty motherboard crashed just before Christmas break). During that time I went a little stir crazy. at certain periods of times i had internet from some computers (dial-up unfortunately)but when I had to spend to weeks in a computer-free environment it was horrible, I stayed in my room much of my time, I was bitter and I lost quite a lot Net-Cred in my various forums and games...
I have forgotten where i was going with this (to reply to metatr0n, I don't use a mobile much, free chat via net FTW ;p )

 

[insectoid]

I find I'm almost happier without the internet, when I go on holiday (in a completely computer-free environment) I just use the time for my other hobbies. If I have no access to the internet at home I will get work done quicker, and then be able to spend the extra time I have either learning things for personal interest, or (again) pursuing my other hobbies, rather than hanging around on forums or compulsively refreshing the page to check for new posts.

Thing is, if the access to the internet is there, I can't help myself. Recently I've cut down on use a lot, asking myself "Are you really doing anything, or are you waiting for something to do? Couldn't you be doing something else more enjoyable?" - it usually works.

 

[Disembodied_Dave]

I went without the internet for a week last summer.. It was pretty much the exact same life style, except I got work done. I've never been a popular or even noticeable person. If I stop posting some place or stop signing on AIM, there's not too many people out there that will really care. so I suppose that's a factor. (Not to sound self degrading or anything. I'm just a bit of an introvert who would rather being composing music then talking to someone hah.)
Next summer perhaps I'll do two weeks or an entire month. Though I also want to try writing with my left hand and riding my bike for a 6 miles every day for a week. Hehe Doing things like that are really fun. Like mini-adventures or "unlockable achievements" for you young ones.

 

[Khadath]

Ok yeah you went a little crazy, I lost it for about 4 days but that was all phones as well, we forgot to pay the bill and no one had credit, while I did almost died from boredom mostly I worked out and thought about all the things going on in my life, not kidnap next doors cat.

 

[scotth266]

Who doesn't drink more without the internet? A serious study should be conducted on this...Lord knows they throw research grants at the most random stuff nowadays...

True that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW1nakblcOg

But to be more serious, the Internet, and forums specifically, are good places where people talk about their days, likes, dislikes, whatever: all anonymously, free from persecution or judgement. We write stuff, we sing, we watch silly videos, we talk about random junk, we meet new people, and we do buisness. The Internet has become something great: a public area that all can access for nearly everything that we need. And to suddenly be without it is rather strange: I felt like I was cut off from something extremely significant, a good part of my daily life.

 

[Ultrajoe]

You Lived Off The Validation Provided By The Internet?

I Ultrapity You.

 

[Brotherofwill]

Yea, it's the same for all kinds of media. If you stop watching TV then you realise it's useless garbage that occupies your day just for the sake of occupying it. I moved to a different country, stopped watching TV and now I don't miss it a single bit.
Same with the internet and all other forms of media for me.
The movie Fight Club really hits the nail on the head with that message.

You Lived Off The Validation Provided By The Internet?

I Ultrapity You.

Ultrapity is a little harsh, we all know that Superpity should be sufficient here

 

[zero_zumi]

snip

Haha, good job dropping WoW.

snip

I hear ya. The internet can suck you in and you forget what you enjoy more (ala addiction).

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

This is actually not a bad idea, i might try going a week without internet, gaming or Tv in the summer.
Can't exactly do it while i'm at college since i'm doing computer programming...and then i always end up being drawn to the escapist.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

You Lived Off The Validation Provided By The Internet?

I Ultrapity You.

Meh.

 

[Susan Arendt]

You Lived Off The Validation Provided By The Internet?

I Ultrapity You.

So you wouldn't mind if we wiped your title, badges, and post count then, right?

 

[Geoffrey42]

You Lived Off The Validation Provided By The Internet?

I Ultrapity You.

So you wouldn't mind if we wiped your title, badges, and post count then, right?

I assumed he was being ironic (in the connotational sense of the term).

Weren't You?

On-article: I sometimes find myself completely cut-off, and I typically really enjoy it. In the past, I've been on multi-week hiking trips where I had no phone, no internet, no books, no music, no distractions whatsoever. Sort of pleasant.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Just poking a bit of good-natured fun.