Okay, I’ve been hard at work, almost on a war footing, to distance myself from the addictive browser. Incredibly enough, I’ve already been using enough tools over the past few months/years to reduce my dependence in the browser. I guess it’s time for me to add the finishing touch.
- For email, I use Windows Live Mail.
- For chatting, I’m on Yahoo! Messenger for Vista and GTalk.
- For blogging, I misuse Windows Live Writer.
- For reading news, I’ve restarted using FeedDemon. I’m now subscribing to only a handful of feeds as compared to the countless ones on Google Reader.
- To carry news with me when I’m traveling to and fro the office, I’m now subscribing to VOA podcasts via FeedStation.
- My online expense manager is already synched with Microsoft Excel via DocSyncer.
All this might sound silly, but this is the only way I can reduce my time spent online. I hope to switch to my new routine by Saturday. There are many more steps in austerity to be taken.
Comments
You are SICK and need help. The problem is accentuated because you do not realise how sick you are.
:-)
The amount of tech writing you do gives the message you do that for a living. That is, you get paid for trying all this tech wizadry and writing about it.
Which you don't.
I rarely find you writing about a walk, or a sunset or rainfall. That is tech if you see from my viewpoint. Infact, that is so high-tech, it is magic.
Don't distance yourself from the browser and get hooked to a messenger or some stupid feeds. That is like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Take a walk. Climb a mountain. See some new places. Meet some new people. Explore a new culture. You will not regret it.
I have not come across a single person who fondly remembers an online chat or a new song playing utility after a few years. All that you will remember is holding hands, looking at a sunset or fighting some tough sea waves.
Make sure you are not bankrupt in long term memories.
Your free advice friend,
G
Keep the advice flowing! I needed something like this.
You are absolutely right when you say that I'm doing too much of technology and that I need to focus on the real world. That's precisely the reason why I'm seeking this shakeup within. It was high time I woke up to what I was missing.
Rest assured, technology is being banished from future pages for good. The enlisting of tools (in the current post) I use is just a concerted effort to spend less time online. They just help me in getting things done and jumping off quickly.
Without self-discipline, this will be difficult. It's been a chronic problem with me. I need to compartmentalize certain things and ensure they don't spill over.
I need a life...& I swear I'll get it.
Thanks for the comment. It was therapeutic.