Support NeoGAF

[Deleted member 1235]

I don't think it would be possible. I think he will run into situations almost daily, where not having it will be almost impossible to carry on normal existence.

Stuff like bill payments/phone calls etc. I think it's become so integrated to normal life that it would be the same as going without power (not the same difficulty wise, but the same ballpark, skipping a utility)

he will find it way more difficult than anticipated. Interesting experiment though, would love to read the results in one year if he can stick to it.

 

[infinityBCRT]

Paul... Paul... Paul.

 

[Solo]

I don't think I'm over-doing it at all, really.

The internet is not some luxury item that someone can just remove from their live and expect to be nearly as productive or informed. Cutting me off from tech-blogs, news sites, RSS feeds, Facebook, Google, Wikipedia...suddenly everyone around me has a massive leg-up on me in terms of information.

I love you, Rub, but what the fuck. I assume you were alive pre-1995 or so. People got along just fine.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

I don't think this is a come to Jesus moment, I think this is far worse. He haints at being a better human being and I think that leads to a larger point of him failing them in someway.

Giving up the Internet completely would show the true measure of his character. Do exactly what he derided and leave your "Internet" job. Stop writing for them. Forego podcasts appearances and other media that is destined for "Internet" consumption.

Live your life for 1 year in a way where you aren't furthering your career by profiting from "Internet" endeavors and then I'd wish him luck.

 

[LyleLanley]

I could totally do that with no sweat, in summer i periodically without internet for 2 months and i totally don't give a fuck about it.

Do you work during the summer?

 

[echoshifting]

I don't think it would be possible. I think he will run into situations almost daily, where not having it will be almost impossible to carry on normal existence.

Stuff like bill payments/phone calls etc. I think it's become so integrated to normal life that it would be the same as going without power (not the same difficulty wise, but the same ballpark, skipping a utility)

he will find it way more difficult than anticipated. Interesting experiment though, would love to read the results in one year if he can stick to it.

It's a depressing thought, but I think you're probably right. I wish it were possible...I mean, he's not the first person to have this idea. Neither am I. When you really start thinking about it, though, it's incredible how limiting it appears to be.

I don't think this is a come to Jesus moment, I think this is far worse. He haints at being a better human being and I think that leads to a larger point of him failing them in someway.

Giving up the Internet completely would show the true measure of his character. Do exactly what he derided and leave your "Internet" job. Stop writing for them. Forego podcasts appearances and other media that is destined for "Internet" consumption.

Live your life for 1 year in a way where you aren't furthering your career by profiting from "Internet" endeavors and then I'd wish him luck.

Another good point. There is sort of a weird hypocrisy to it.

 

[way more]

Someone already did this on Slate.com

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...bably_crazy_plan_to_give_up_the_internet.html


I don't know for how long. The premise is so boring I never made it more than 2 paragraphs into the article.


Can't wait for the upcoming book and movie deal! The only question is, Ewan Mcgregor or Jim Carrey?

 

[killdatninja]

This was doable like 5 - 6 years ago, before convergence really took place. Now that most of my stuff talks to the internet or is at least enhanced in some way, I would find this really difficult.

 

[t26]

I really don't see any problem paying bills offline. My dad pay every bills by writing check and mailing them.

 

[kehs]

So all he's doing is turning off his lan and mobile connections.

Sounds Awesome.

No wait, the opposite.

 

[planar1280]

I lived a great life for near 15 years sans internet. In a lot of ways, I'd love to go back to that.

same here. life was so active back then. I thought a lot. I was slim smart and good looking and now I am fat and ugly

 

[Keylime]

I love you, Rub, but what the fuck. I assume you were alive pre-1995 or so. People got along just fine.

But it's not 1995 anymore! The world around you works on tweets and emails and blogs and facebook and google and wikipedia!

Just because people CAN live without this stuff doesn't mean they are better off for it!

 

[Tobor]

Before the Internet we all sat around watching cable tv all day. It's not like 1993 was a Norman Rockwell painting.

 

[Binabik15]

I could just flunk right of med school without the net.

Not only for course enrollment (mandatory internet use), timetable changes, sending in protocols etc, but also because you just can't soldier through it on your own. I'm used to lonewolf-ing through uni, but without teamwork, askining questions to the swarm intelligence in real time and stuff, you're fucked here. Plus, not being able to see the live corpse cutting my uni streams Germany- wide once the anatomic theatre is full would suck.

Oh, and pics and vids of boobies, I'd miss those.

Edit: while I DO waste a lot of time online (well, did) I have offline hobbies I kill tons of hours with, so I'm not some internet blob, so I don't need to cut it out to be more "sociable".

 

[Ken Masters]

perfect


and I love this is coming off as some great noble effort, give me a fucking break

 

[Cipherr]

Translation: You make a great point, I give up.

Dont be a dumbass. Someone trying to say that not using the internet is literally a waste of life is just so far beyond the deep end that it really doesn't bear discussion.

"Literally" is going to far, I'll give you that.

That'll do.

 

[Cipherr]

dp

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Dont be a dumbass. Someone trying to say that not using the internet is a waste of life is just so far beyond the deep end that it really doesn't bear discussion.

.

its insane, really

 

[Keylime]

Dont be a dumbass. Someone trying to say that not using the internet is a waste of life is just so far beyond the deep end that it really doesn't bear discussion.

Well that's just like...your opinion, man.

Spoiler

Even if you're right that I'm taking it too far, you always are insanely condescending to people who you disagree with...chill out

 

[Emily Chu]

did it for 15 years back before 2002.... GET ON MY LEVEL

 

[Cipherr]

Spoiler

Even if you're right that I'm taking it too far, you always are insanely condescending to people who you disagree with...chill out

It reads that way, Im told that constantly, but thats not the intent, at least not all the time, and not here. We're cool brother.

 

[buhdeh]

perfect


and I love this is coming off as some great noble effort, give me a fucking break

No kidding. This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard - especially considering he's a tech writer on an Internet site. I hope the verge isn't paying him while he does this.

You really need a year off to figure out what parts of the Internet are useful? Want deeper interaction with other people? Why not just learn to exercise some self-control instead and not spend hours on the Internet? Seriously, after a full 9-5 day at the office, I don't even want to stare at another computer screen when I get home.

 

[Angry Fork]

I've done this many times before, if you have no friends/life it's not a big deal you can just read write workout etc. when you're bored. If you do have friends and online contacts then it'll cripple you probably.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

I like that gif a lot, don't know where's it's from, but thinking about this article makes me more and more angry. I can see him getting press on podcasts for an effort that I don't find to be noble or well thought out.

 

[JCX]

It seems hard, but at my job, I help a lot of people who are computer-illiterate at worst. I was initially shocked at how they got through life without internet usage.

 

[Garryk]

I hope he doesn't have any bills set to paperless before he goes on his sabbatical.

I would get fired for doing this because I couldn't receive/send e-mails.

 

[Krogan]

No kidding. This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard - especially considering he's a tech writer on an Internet site. I hope the verge isn't paying him while he does this.

You think The Verge didn't have some say in this? I mean try telling your employer that they need to work around you for a full year and see if you still have a job.

 

[Messofanego]

I remember the days when people called eachother up or just came and knocked on your door if they wanted to do something, rather than texting and Facebooking. I remember when getting together with friends meant playing in the woods or playing sports, not plunking down in front of a gaming console. I remember the days of no movie/TV/book show spoilers, now you have to wary at all times. I remember the days when I only saw movie trailers before movies, not 4 months earlier on line. Etc.

Call me romanticized/old man/get off my lawn GAF if you like, but there was a certain je-ne-sais-quoi abpout pre-internet life that just felt like a better way of life. There is too much focus on social media now and not enough on being social.

Sounds like this is a personal issue, and you shouldn't blame this on anyone else.

This is just the internet, I'm not even taking away your computer! Try a week without Internet, you'll love it.

 

[Divvy]

I like that gif a lot, don't know where's it's from, but thinking about this article makes me more and more angry. I can see him getting press on podcasts for an effort that I don't find to be noble or well thought out.

I like his whole, I'm leaving the internet tomorrow so talk to me while you still caaaannnnnn:

I'm leaving soon, but before I do, I'd like to celebrate the internet with you. Until midnight, when I pull the plug, you can join me in the following activities:

My Reddit AMA
My Twitch.tv stream which will have Minecraft and StarCraft starting at 9pm, along with special appearances by The Verge staff
The Verge Turntable.fm room
Twitter (@futurepaul)
Email GIFs and well-wishes to paul@theverge.com
The comments below

 

[DoDonGouki]

 

[Slayven]

Before the internet I never know how petty and big of assholes people could be. It was glorious.

 

[Mangotron]

I don't really see the whole "surge of productivity" thing happening, unless you're REALLY bad at time management. All of the time spent on random distractions on the internet will just be replaced by walking/driving to the library and then looking the stuff up.

 

[LeleSocho]

Do you work during the summer?

No i go to my summer house which doesn't have internet connection and 3G isn't available

 

[Keylime]

I don't really see the whole "surge of productivity" thing happening, unless you're REALLY bad at time management. All of the time spent on random distractions on the internet will just be replaced by walking/driving to the library and then looking the stuff up.

What are you doing in the library when you work for a tech company reporting on tech news? There's nothing there at all that would help you do your job...so doing that isn't even helpful!

This dude is going to be reduced to direct reporting by depending on face to face interactions or phone calls to get information. Someone is going to have to spoonfeed him tech news to stay relevant...so his friends and coworkers are going to be burdened to keep him up to speed through the podcast or something. Not that he can listen to the podcast, but he could participate in it I'm sure.

Bah...this whole things just bothers me. I'm not losing sleep over it, but it's such a sham of an idea.

 

[ClosingADoor]

No i go to my summer house which doesn't have internet connection and 3G isn't available

I need to do that sometime. Haven't taken a vacation in a couple of years and with the internet and 3G it's hard not to answer emails or check some work related stuff even when out of the office or at home...

 

[ripastraea]

Anyone have the picture of Ice Cube spilling his drink on the ground

 

[Tobor]

No i go to my summer house which doesn't have internet connection and 3G isn't available

We rent a beach house every summer, they all have cable Internet and wifi. I end up using the Internet less that week because family is around and there is stuff to do.

 

[Zoramon089]

This sounds incredibly stupid. Also people are underestimating just how much they do on the internet. I keep reading posts like "we got on with it before, why not now?" and stuff like that. Yeah, we managed without vehicles before as well, but they've become so ingrained into our lives you really can't get around without them. Same thing here.

So much of our lives have become intertwined with the internet, removing it greatly limits what you can do. For instance someone commented how we used to meet with friends in person and call them on phones before. Yeah but what about when you don't live in walking distance of friends? What if you don't know their schedule and the best time to call? I can't tell if you're truly thinking about the implications of what you're saying or putting no thought into it at all

 

[Seraphinianus]

But it's not 1995 anymore! The world around you works on tweets and emails and blogs and facebook and google and wikipedia!

Just because people CAN live without this stuff doesn't mean they are better off for it!

the world around me works on blogs, facebook, and tweets? I pretty comfortably don't have those things in my life (this isn't a "look at how I'm not on twitter or facebook" post...just saying they aren't necessary for me.)

 

[Keylime]

the world around me works on blogs, facebook, and tweets? I pretty comfortably don't have those things in my life (this isn't a "look at how I'm not on twitter or facebook" post...just saying they aren't necessary for me.)

Facebook and Twitter and blogs don't make the world turn, sure. But not being able to Google your problems? Not being able to quickly look up something on Wikipedia?

You're gimping yourself for no good reason. You're basically arguing for moderation vs. removal. Moderation is fine and completely admirable. Removing the internet entirely is pointless.

 

[Hobbestetrician]

There is absolutely no way I could do this but don't see this as some brave endeavour to get back to the basics. The internet is a part of the world now and while we may not 'need' it to survive, it is how the world operates nowadays.

Also, I don't think it would the year that would be hard, just a period of a few months adapting and then the remainder of the year would probably be much easier.

 

[entremet]

When I moved I only had internet on my iPhone, while the cable company had to install internet. Boy, it was torture.

We are truly the internet generation, just as our parents were the TV generation. My mom goes nuts if she doesn't have her TV afterwork.

 

[Machine]

I pretty much can't avoid it at work but I could easily avoid the internet for a year if we limit it strictly to my personal life. I grew up without it so I think I could manage.

 

[LyleLanley]

No i go to my summer house which doesn't have internet connection and 3G isn't available

That's not such a big deal then.

 

[krypt0nian]

Facebook and Twitter and blogs don't make the world turn, sure. But not being able to Google your problems? Not being able to quickly look up something on Wikipedia?

You're gimping yourself for no good reason. You're basically arguing for moderation vs. removal. Moderation is fine and completely admirable. Removing the internet entirely is pointless.

This. You can eliminate info noise in your life by stopping those channels that create it. Dumping actual useful tools is just dumb.

But then again this is obviously for a book deal down the road so it may pay off for him.

 

[Apophenia Overload]

I remember the days when people called eachother up or just came and knocked on your door if they wanted to do something, rather than texting and Facebooking. I remember when getting together with friends meant playing in the woods or playing sports, not plunking down in front of a gaming console. I remember the days of no movie/TV/book show spoilers, now you have to wary at all times. I remember the days when I only saw movie trailers before movies, not 4 months earlier on line. Etc.

Call me romanticized/old man/get off my lawn GAF if you like, but there was a certain je-ne-sais-quoi abpout pre-internet life that just felt like a better way of life. There is too much focus on social media now and not enough on being social.

I totally agree with this. What he's attempting to do is pretty Thoreau status and beyond the ability of most people- for him his job is actually allowing him to do this. But trying to moderate internet use, or at least imagine what it's like to go back a decade and a half ago and not be on the internet so much is really laudable. Is it the destiny for our species to spend most of our waking hour online? Why should it be necessary? I applaud this attempt.

And again, I'd like to bring up the relevant TED/TEDx talks about how our modern society's addiction to electronic escapism and novelty leads to problems. Not focused on just the internet, though:

http://www.ted.com/talks/zimchallenge.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zif0_60b3WU

 

[Eusis]

This was doable like 5 - 6 years ago, before convergence really took place. Now that most of my stuff talks to the internet or is at least enhanced in some way, I would find this really difficult.

Yeah, I'm thinking similarly. More though I think it's how everything's depended on it more, AND the shift in retail: Blockbuster's practically rotting away now, music is being pulled from stores to be sold only digitally online, newspapers and magazines (especially video game ones) have folded, and you're more likely to just plain bump into "go online" situations. I still would like to do a similar experiment sometime, maybe a hard 2 hour limit of internet use on the computer (exempting consoles and Netflix streaming, mainly because they ARE being ignored in favor of casual browsing), but going without the internet is no longer the same as going back to the 90s or late 80s.

 

[zoukka]

This. You can eliminate info noise in your life by stopping those channels that create it. Dumping actual useful tools is just dumb.

But then again this is obviously for a book deal down the road so it may pay off for him.

He IS moderating. He is not quitting internet for life.

I would totally do this if I wouldn't lose work in the process

Blah blah internet is awesome entertainment, we'll you can live without.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

perfect


and I love this is coming off as some great noble effort, give me a fucking break

What part of this is coming off as pretending to be "noble"?? It's just a simple social experiment that he will be able to write about later. No need to be butt hurt about it.

 

[Apophenia Overload]

That's not my point. He's still "using the Internet", just adding a layer of abstraction. Having someone else publish your articles to the Internet is still publishing your articles to the Internet. He's also interacting on a set with people taking calls and emails over the Internet and he will be responding to them.

He cannot quit the Internet and do his job.

That layer of abstraction is still important. He's not physically browsing the internet himself.

Not saying it won't make for an interesting read after the fact, just saying that there is no way that removing the internet from someone's life is going yield positive effects.

Fuck all that noise. That's defeatism.