5 ms·

Try going on a "trip" away from the internet, while staying at home. I mean turning it off for a while, and making a little kind of ceremony about it. It's almo

by mbrock 8y ago

Try going on a "trip" away from the internet, while staying at home. I mean turning it off for a while, and making a little kind of ceremony about it. It's almost like meditation. In fact I think temporary internet deprivation is a decent way to describe meditation to most people in this era. But it's not just a deprivation because you'll probably find it quite interesting. Maybe you'll feel a bit restless, but then remember you're on a trip, it's like you're camping, you need to amuse yourself. Maybe have a bath. Tidy a bit. Maybe even clean your downloads folder. Light a candle. Sit on the floor for a while. See what happens. Offline life is a pretty good place to enjoy some coziness. The internet usually isn't very cozy. And coziness is nice. It's not like without internet you'll be actually suffering. It's kinda nice. And then it's "just" a matter of habits. Getting acquainted with the niceness of offline life seems like a necessary first step to start forming any kind of offline habit.

amelius 8y ago
> The internet usually isn't very cozy. I'm curious in what ways the internet could be made more cozy (?)
- franky47 8y ago
  Maybe by having less of it shoved in your face in the form of endless lists of vaguely related content engineered to keep your attention. In a sea of pushed content, I actually find harder to find things I'm genuinely interested in. This may have turned a generation of curious minds into passive consumers. For example, the paginated list on HN's home page is great: I've never needed to move to page 2, whereas if it has been an infinite list, I'd probably spend way too long there.
  - dorchadas 8y ago
    That's honestly one thing I love about Wikipedia. It's so easy to just keep clicking links and going to new things.
- claudiawerner 8y ago
  I feel as though cozy on the internet is a place where things are right and people generally don't argue, they discuss (if that), where you're around people who know and appreciate you, or otherwise engaging in a community sharing the same jokes and knowledge. Where the technology just works and you don't have to mess with Javascript settings, and when you've helped someone out with an issue on your favorite language's IRC channel. Where you watch a wholesome cookery/historical/science video on Youtube... I expect it varies from person to person.
  - franky47 8y ago
    I'd say arguing is a good thing as long as it's done in a polite and respectful manner. Unfortunately the lack of context when using text-based communication leaves interpretation errors wide open, and with it come the emotional responses we know and loathe (from angry texting to trolls to flat earthers). Therefore since the internet is mostly text-based, it's probably better to leave the arguing off it for the moment. But I think the problem is not limited to the internet.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- mbrock 8y ago
  Yeah... I think it’s hard. Instant access to global data just isn’t cozy, somehow. Coziness usually involves seclusion of some sort. (Gil Fronsdal talked nicely about this in the second part of his currently ongoing course on concentration in meditation.) McLuhan wrote that ever since the telegraph we’ve hooked up our nervous system to the global system in a way that creates dread.

by mbrock 8y ago

amelius 8y ago

> The internet usually isn't very cozy. I'm curious in what ways the internet could be made more cozy (?)

franky47 8y ago
Maybe by having less of it shoved in your face in the form of endless lists of vaguely related content engineered to keep your attention. In a sea of pushed content, I actually find harder to find things I'm genuinely interested in. This may have turned a generation of curious minds into passive consumers. For example, the paginated list on HN's home page is great: I've never needed to move to page 2, whereas if it has been an infinite list, I'd probably spend way too long there.
- dorchadas 8y ago
  That's honestly one thing I love about Wikipedia. It's so easy to just keep clicking links and going to new things.
claudiawerner 8y ago
I feel as though cozy on the internet is a place where things are right and people generally don't argue, they discuss (if that), where you're around people who know and appreciate you, or otherwise engaging in a community sharing the same jokes and knowledge. Where the technology just works and you don't have to mess with Javascript settings, and when you've helped someone out with an issue on your favorite language's IRC channel. Where you watch a wholesome cookery/historical/science video on Youtube... I expect it varies from person to person.
- franky47 8y ago
  I'd say arguing is a good thing as long as it's done in a polite and respectful manner. Unfortunately the lack of context when using text-based communication leaves interpretation errors wide open, and with it come the emotional responses we know and loathe (from angry texting to trolls to flat earthers). Therefore since the internet is mostly text-based, it's probably better to leave the arguing off it for the moment. But I think the problem is not limited to the internet.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
mbrock 8y ago
Yeah... I think it’s hard. Instant access to global data just isn’t cozy, somehow. Coziness usually involves seclusion of some sort. (Gil Fronsdal talked nicely about this in the second part of his currently ongoing course on concentration in meditation.) McLuhan wrote that ever since the telegraph we’ve hooked up our nervous system to the global system in a way that creates dread.