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This is the "15 minutes of fame for everyone" long envisioned. Only now the tech enabled this very possibility. While it can be negative experience first few t
by atemerev 11y ago
This is the "15 minutes of fame for everyone" long envisioned. Only now the tech enabled this very possibility.
While it can be negative experience first few times it happens, the other dangerous side is that it's instantaneously addictive (we people crave attention). And addiction is what everyone in sales and marketing wants, as long as it's still legal. An addict is an ideal consumer.
I terminated my Twitter account about 2 years ago, after I found out that I spent huge amounts of time and psychical energy there. I generated two random UUIDs, used the first one to create one of those one-time emails, and the second to be the new password. I changed my Twitter password and email, and promptly rebooted my computer without storing these UUIDs anywhere.
It worked. Going cold turkey was incredibly hard. I wrote to Twitter support a few times so they could restore my account, but they couldn't establish my identity (just as planned!) Then, after a few months, cravings started to diminish.
Now, instead of being Twitter addict, I became Facebook and HN addict. Sigh. I can repeat my trick, but now I lack the willpower to do that. RescueTime tells me that I spend 3-4 hours every day on Facebook and HN.
Time to generate more UUIDs.
- pimterry 11y agoI too get find myself getting totally distracted like this, compulsively and frustratingly, and it's very annoying seeing these apps steal my time. Fundamentally it's because they're designed to be addictive: randomly giving you rewards in just the right way to train your brain to want to go again, automatically. It's totally in Twitter/Facebook/HN's interest to keep you uncontrollably craving their hit. I'm trying to fix this myself at the moment: I've built an app using exactly the same techniques (training your brain with quick feedback and random rewards), but flipped around, to try and addict you to concentrating and getting work done instead. Without being too spammy, you sound like my perfect target user. Want to try out the alpha? Details at http://www.buildfocus.io http://www.buildfocus.io Let me know if you sign up, and I'll make sure you get in on the next batch of invites I put out. Chrome-only for now, but there's Firefox/Safari/Android/iOS coming in the works eventually too (in approximately that order).
- lumpypua 11y agoDude, beautiful site. HN can be a rough place—and I just wanna say your site's really nice.
- jalfresi 11y agoOoo I love the idea of using those nefarious techniques to build positive habits! As soon as I saw the buildfocus my brain went "I want a massive city" :)
- atemerev 11y agoSure, just subscribed (sorhed at gmail dot com). Could you send me an invite, then?
- maaarghk 11y agoYou wouldn't mind putting my on the next batch of invites as well would you? This sounds pretty interesting to me. I signed up with the email in my profile.
- awesomebob 11y agoI can't wait to see how your app works, it sounds like it could be really useful. I just signed up with the email in my profile, could you please send me an invite with the next batch?
- enoch_r 11y agoThis looks awesome, I signed up with john.d.swanson at gmail dot come. Thanks!