I realize that I spend way too much time in gather and horde mode. I do this somewhat with material stuff, but I do it even more with information. I have stacks of magazines, shelves of books purchased and borrowed, more podcasts than I can listen to 24/7 regularly downloaded into iTunes, and sites, blogs and news and journal articles bookmarked in Google Reader, del.icio.us, in open tabs in Firefox. Even though my physical life is relatively uncluttered, I’m the digital equivalent of one of those recluses they find buried under an avalanche of National Geographics from the 30s.
I’m an information gormand. I’m the guy from Super Size Me, except that I’ll take the Facebook-Flickr combo with a side order of blog. Would I like any comments with that? Of course!
It’s time for me to go on a digital diet–eat less, exercise more! The goal is to burn more than you take in. So here’s the plan:
- Carefully select what I read and stop stuffing my brain and my bookmark larders; there can be too much of a good thing.
- Spend more time producing than consuming. This can include sharing, processing or creating new information. Less time in the Reader fridge, more time in the WordPress gym, baby!
- The trickiest part is where information and relationships blend, which they do in the social web. I’m not so ready to cut this out. I may relax my twitter and facebook pace a bit, but will definitely stay on.
- Finally, flickr is my dessert and my reward. Ain’t giving that up anytime soon.
We’ll see if this goes the way of most diets. Stay tuned!
5 responses so far ↓
1 Chandelle // Aug 4, 2008 at 8:20 am
This is really timely for me. I am the same way. I take in much more than I produce. I read constantly, books, magazines, articles, blogs, and everything in between. A while ago I started to feel overwhelmed with the 100+ blogs, articles, journals and webpages in my reader and Bookmarks, so I “downsized,” a lot. Now I generally only comment on the blogs of people I actually know - except this one
- and I’m trying to read more books and less online stuff, even though I already read 4-5 books a week. I’m trying to spend more time with my kids, and outside, and learning practical things, like how to can tomatoes or get rid of mice humanely. I’m trying to write, listen to music or silence, and create art with my kids instead of reading yet another medical study or discussion of p*rn politics. And I try not to get pulled into unproductive contentions on certain blogs (ahemFMHahem), though this is definitely a work in progress. Glad I’m not the only one feeling this need.
2 xJane // Aug 4, 2008 at 9:50 am
hehe, I routinely go through my “Blogs” tab and remove those I no longer find interesting or topical. Although, it gets added to as well, so that may not be saying anything. As for my Podcasts, I generally try to limit myself to short ones, and have revised my download options to only dl the most recent. So that if I get three weeks behind (as I am now), I don’t feel I have to catch up.
Good luck!
3 Matt Thurston // Aug 4, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Couldn’t agree more. My “to read” and “to watch” and “to listen to” lists sometimes feel more like Sysyphusian nightmares than welcome respites from my daily chores.
What’s the appeal of Flickr? How do you use it? What do you “do” there?
4 Jeff // Aug 4, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Very true…unfortunately, my online life seems to be one part that I can’t unclutter. I’ve basically stopped commenting on blogs, except for the occasional comment here, and I still can’t find time for it all. I’m trying to force myself to write something every time I spend time on Google Reader, kind of my penance for my information overload, but I don’t always do it. My biggest problem with my digital cacophony is that it gets in the way of my offline reading of novels and other books that I’d like to explore. Sadly, however, I’m a digital addict, and have to get my fix.
5 Jeff // Aug 4, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Matt,
I’ve never seen the adjective “Sysyphusian,” but I like it.
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