Sick of the Internet (Present Company Excluded)

[catherine]

It's partly my fault because of my addiction to the internet in so many ways, but in general, I'm getting really tired of the same old stuff--the ads thrown in everywhere, the emphasis on the really lightweight "who cares news" about no-talent celebrities, the way the news articles are directed towards micro-markets, so that I, as a 62 year old woman, only see yahoo articles about retirement and "miracle" wrinkle creams...

Give me a break.

I sat for an hour today Reading a Book. A Real Book--not an e-book. I realized how much I miss those simple pleasures, and how I really have to replace some of the time I spent glued to the computer on more fulfilling things.

What would you do if you spent less time on the internet? Or, unlike me, are you satisfied with your current involvement?

[KayLR]

I would do more reading as well, Catherine....and sewing, both machine and hand (embroidery). I already do those things too, but those are things I really like to do to relax. I rarely get on the Internet in the evenings after dinner. That is when I do most of my handwork. But those rainy weekends, I take a web sabbatical most times.

I'm with you, though....It really creeps me out to look at something online, say a dress, or even a fabric swatch on a sewing site, only to see it pop up on the sidebars everywhere else I go (except here, thankfully).

[ApatheticNoMore]

the ads thrown in everywhere, the emphasis on the really lightweight "who cares news" about no-talent celebrities, the way the news articles are directed towards micro-markets, so that I, as a 62 year old woman, only see yahoo articles about retirement and "miracle" wrinkle creams...

None of this is necesasary to one's experience of the internet. You just need ad-blocking software (browser ad-ons). Now I don't even remember what ad-ons I have installed on firefox, several, I'd have to check (all ad-blocking and security adn privacy stuff pretty much). I definitely have the "Adblock Edge" add-on at least installed to block ads. The prism-break ad-ons are a some ideas (though a few I deleted because they were funky):
https://prism-break.org/en/subcategories/windows-web-browser-addons/

You shouldn't be seeing ads everywhere, you should be able to block most tracking that's targetting you with specific articles (well maybe not from prism and the like but I'm just talking advertisers and news targeters here). Lightweight news, well, that just depends on where you go to get your news :)

[Rogar]

Other than this and one other forum i use the internet mostly for an information base and for shopping. I'll admit I probably spend too much time with it and could temper my time a little better, but I can pretty much overlook the ads. One thing I have noticed in the last several months is the increase in what you think might be interesting and generally has a number attached. Like the ten best foods for weight loss or 7 movie stars with big secrets or the 8 proven things you can do to live longer. I have been sucked into these a couple of times but they are generally trivial junk and you have to page through several pages, each loaded with ads. I cn pretty much ingore those now.

I do have to say, on a larger scale I increasing wonder about the cost in time and money to benefits received when it comes to the entire electronic media scene that would include social medias, smart phones with all their apps, streaming, countless blue tooth wireless devices and so on. I am mostly a Luddite but see acquaintances getting carried away with somethings that should make life easier or more enjoyable, but end up being time and money sucking distractions that are little more than fancy toys.

[try2bfrugal]

I mainly read frugal living blogs and forums. I love it. I wish I had all this information available years ago.

I clear my cookies and temporary files regularly to avoid the advertising creep outs as much as possible.

[bae]

I spend a fair bit of time doing ham radio work. It's sort of fun to talk to folks all over the world, or even in the region, the old-fashioned way.

And super-handy when the local communications are dead. (I *can* access the Internet over ham radio, with several different technologies, which turns out to be quite helpful at times...)

[iris lilies]

No, not satisfied, spend way too much time on stupid sites. WAY too much time.This site is fine but I'm here too much. Mr Money Mustache=worthwhile. The other crap--no. What a brain leach.

[Gregg]

More often than not I'm on here after DW heads to bed (aka now). She likes sleep more than I do. Takes me a little longer to wind down and I've never seen anything better than the net at providing the kind of mind numbing content required to make me sleepy. Aside from TV, that is.

[Packy]

On one hand, the 'net is a great source of information. On the other hand, it is also a great source of Misinformation. My pet example is YouTube Tutorials by people who are really not experts at what they are demonstrating. I found several that ere informative, but had certain pieces of info that I aready knew was wrong, but the remedy was utilizing eclectic bits n' pieces of information about how-to from each presentation. That,
and a combination of trial and error & my own judgement, made it work. Now, I know how. My 2 cents is, take each "experts'" advice with caution; read more opinions, and develop a consensus, and proceed carefully.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Yea I don't know I do other stuff but it's not all that: read non-fiction, journal, cook here and there (but I'm sick of it), try to make myself study work stuff - and yea that's evenings after work.

[goldensmom]

Adblock Plus blocks tons of ads. I check a few sites, read some news, research a subject if I have a current interest, intentionally disconnect, play a game of scrabble and shut down. Once I get into something else, i.e hobby, housework, reading, etc. I forget about the computer.

[KayLR]

Thanks goldensmom....just downloaded that.

[nswef]

I just installed it, too. I will be curious to see how it works. My computer keeps telling me Internet Explorer is having high CPU usage and I am sure a lot of it is the ads. So, that will be good. Thank you.

[SteveinMN]

I pretty much enjoy my Internet experience. Like ANM, though, I do run lots of ad-blocking/cookie-blocking software. I'm very loath to give a site my email address, and when it's unavoidable, they almost always get my throwaway address. There are some sites I'd like to read, like the hometown newspaper (not the big one across the river), but their recent re-do made it an almost-unusable mess, slow, with lots of rotators and crawlers and pop-over ads and just general cr@p that makes it very difficult to read any article. I still use Facebook because connecting with people that way outweighs the price I'm paying in privacy. I've grown very resistant to the come-on headlines and I've deployed to Web pages the same visual filter I apply to the home-improvement project sitting in the corner that I've successfully failed to see for the last six months.:) It's mostly a matter of blocking the junk and keeping the stuff I want to see.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I make a chunk of my income online via Ebay and through GPT sites so I spend more time than I'd like to online and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I agree with the OP about reading - there is something about reading and actual low-tech book that really works for me as far as an escape/brain exercize/vehicle to learn something new/vehicle to inspire me to think. The internet is a remarkable thing but most days I'd just as soon be reading a book truth be told. Rob

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Thanks Goldensmom - I just downloaded the Adblock Plus also. I too get tired of seeing ads and because I love and support animals I get ads with pictures of animals that are abused/neglected. I just can't look at that - it hurts too much and when they just pop up to the side of what I am doing it's terrible. Even though it might be for a good cause, even a cause I support, I don't want to see those kinds of pictures. No more than I would want to see photos of abused children. I hope this Adblock will help.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Thanks for the tip about Adblock Plus.....gotta download that as I don't like those annoying side ads, either. Rob

[Simply Divine]

AdBlock Plus is great! I also use Self-Destructing Cookies and NoScript on Mozilla Firefox. Nothing shows up unless I tell it to.

[Tradd]

I do a good bit of information gathering online. I have a digital subscription to the local paper, so I read that a lot. Offline, I do a lot of reading - on my Kindle, but since I still get lost in the book, it's the same experience to me. I love sitting down at my 45 year old manual typewriter and (literally) pounding out letters to friends. I have an active, extensive correspondence with several friends. Pounding them out is both stress relieving and soothing. I've also been delving into the streaming video on Amazon Prime and I've been watching a lot of stuff, including NYPD Blue from the beginning.

[redfox]

I love the internet! At work, I research current best practices in the fundraising field constantly, as well as donor information, other organizations' annual reports, etc. Today, I found a super hot online deal on a W/D combo, and got the local Home Depot to meet the price - I took my iPhone in & showed them the online price. When I need something used, I use Craigslist. I subscribe to the NYT online. I download digitally from the library, and can access Consumer Reports online. To me, the internet is a giant resource. Best to ignore the junk, and delve into the gems! Whatever those may be for you.

[ApatheticNoMore]

The reading thing ... well this is what I do when I'm reading: I'll read for 1/2 hour to an hour and then I'll go on the web for awhile to break it up. Well maybe an hour straight is about what I can take without a break for non-fiction I guess. See even reading makes me go on the internet :treadmill: :~) Other breaks from reading (or the internet!) are going out and running for a block or two or walking for a few blocks (funny I run for exercise not at all and take these sprints for mental energy regulation). So yea I mostly enjoy the internet, except if I get sucked in and find I have spent a whole weekend day on it and feel pretty lousy.

[Tradd]

ANM, I go back and forth between my Kindle, computer, and the typewriter. :) Circuit training, of a sort!

[SteveinMN]

NoScript on Mozilla Firefox. Nothing shows up unless I tell it to.
+1 on NoScript. The one disadvantage to it, though, is that (at least as I have set it up), I frequently have to give permissions to Web sites I want to visit, especially after I've cleaned out cookies and cache (maybe every 2-3 weeks).

My solution to that is running two browsers. Firefox is my "daily driver" and it gets NoScript and BetterPrivacy and the no-popups, no Flash, no Java settings. It's pretty well battened down for both privacy and security reasons. Safari (I'm on a Mac) is my "junk" browser. I have almost no controls on that one so I don't have to worry about NoScript denying access to a necessary helper Web site or to the form information I've entered or creating a popup to display search results, etc. Banking and Vanguard and all that other stuff is done on Firefox; looking at the aforementioned poor local newspaper Web site happens on Safari. I've found it a good way to have the privacy/security I want without much collateral damage.

[lhamo]

ANM, I go back and forth between my Kindle, computer, and the typewriter. :) Circuit training, of a sort!

I have a similar circuit, with the ipod substituted for the typewriter, and some trips to the kitchen/couch thrown in regularly. Thankfully the ipod sessions usually go with a vigorous workout at the gym, or my behind would be the size of the couch.

[Simply Divine]

+1 on NoScript. The one disadvantage to it, though, is that (at least as I have set it up), I frequently have to give permissions to Web sites I want to visit, especially after I've cleaned out cookies and cache (maybe every 2-3 weeks).

My solution to that is running two browsers.
I use Google Chrome in much the same way as you use Safari. If I have to -- and this is rare -- I open up IE.