From 8697555125c57ae64a0c9b78514b4aac4fd523de Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mitja Felicijan Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:50:20 +0200 Subject: Massive formatting and added figcaption --- ...from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md | 118 ++++++++++----------- 1 file changed, 58 insertions(+), 60 deletions(-) (limited to 'content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md') diff --git a/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md b/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md index 27e0905..31a2ea0 100644 --- a/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md +++ b/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md @@ -12,93 +12,91 @@ I was pleasantly surprised that the transition went so smoothly. Even better, it brought many benefits to my life. Such as increased focus, less stress about trivial things, etc. -It all started with me doing small changes like unsubscribing from emails that -I have either subscribed to by accepting terms and conditions. Or even some -more malicious emails that I was getting because I was on a shared mailing -list. And the later ones I hate the most of all. How the hell do they keep -sharing my email and sending me unsolicited emails and get away with it? I -have a suspicion that these marketing people share an Excel file between them -and keep resubscribing me when they import lists into Mailchimp or similar -software. +It all started with me doing small changes like unsubscribing from emails that I +have either subscribed to by accepting terms and conditions. Or even some more +malicious emails that I was getting because I was on a shared mailing list. And +the later ones I hate the most of all. How the hell do they keep sharing my +email and sending me unsolicited emails and get away with it? I have a suspicion +that these marketing people share an Excel file between them and keep +resubscribing me when they import lists into Mailchimp or similar software. It's fascinating to see how much crap you get subscribed to when you are not -paying attention. It got so bad that my primary Gmail address is a full of junk +paying attention. It got so bad that my primary Gmail address is a full of junk and need constant monitoring and cleaning up. And because I want to have Inbox Zero, this presents an additional problem for me. -The stress that email presented for me didn't occur to me for a long time. I -was noticing that I was unable to go through one single hour without -hysterically refreshing email. And if somebody wrote me something, I needed -to see it right then, even though I didn't immediately reply to it. I can -only describe this with FOMO (fear of missing out). I have no other explanation -than that. It was crippling, and I was constantly context switching, which I -will address further down this post in more details. +The stress that email presented for me didn't occur to me for a long time. I was +noticing that I was unable to go through one single hour without hysterically +refreshing email. And if somebody wrote me something, I needed to see it right +then, even though I didn't immediately reply to it. I can only describe this +with FOMO (fear of missing out). I have no other explanation than that. It was +crippling, and I was constantly context switching, which I will address further +down this post in more details. -This was one of the reasons why I spawned up my personal email server, and I -am using it now as my primary and person email. I still have Gmail as my “junk” -email that I use for throw away stuff. I log in to Gmail once a week and check -if there are any important emails that I got, but apart from that, it's -sitting dormant and collecting dust. +This was one of the reasons why I spawned up my personal email server, and I am +using it now as my primary and person email. I still have Gmail as my “junk” +email that I use for throw away stuff. I log in to Gmail once a week and check +if there are any important emails that I got, but apart from that, it's sitting +dormant and collecting dust. -The more I was watching the world loose it's self with allowing anti freedom -things to happen to it, the more I started to realize that something has to -change. I don't have the power to change the world. And I also don't have a -grandiose opinion of myself to even think to try it. But what I can do is to -not subscribe to this consumer way of thinking. I will not be complicit in -this. My moral and ethical stances won't allow it. So, this brings us to the -second part of my journey. +The more I was watching the world loose it's self with allowing anti freedom +things to happen to it, the more I started to realize that something has to +change. I don't have the power to change the world. And I also don't have a +grandiose opinion of myself to even think to try it. But what I can do is to not +subscribe to this consumer way of thinking. I will not be complicit in this. My +moral and ethical stances won't allow it. So, this brings us to the second part +of my journey. -I was using all these 3rd party services because I was either lazy or OK with +I was using all these 3rd party services because I was either lazy or OK with the drawbacks of them. I watched these services and companies became more and -more evil. It is evil if you sell your user's data in this manner. Nobody reads privacy policies and everybody is OK with accepting them, and they pray on that +more evil. It is evil if you sell your user's data in this manner. Nobody reads flaw in human nature. I really hate the hypocrisy they manage to muster. These -companies prey on our laziness, and we are at fault here. Nobody else. And I -truly understand the reasons why we rather accept and move on, and not object -and have our lives a little more difficult. They have perfected this through +companies prey on our laziness, and we are at fault here. Nobody else. And I +truly understand the reasons why we rather accept and move on, and not object +and have our lives a little more difficult. They have perfected this through years of small changes that make us a little more dependent on them. You could -not convince a person to give away all his rights and data in one day. This was -gradual and slow. And it caught us all in surprise. When I really stopped and -thought about it, I felt repulsed. By really stopping and thinking about it, -I really mean stopping and thinking about it. Thoroughly and in depth. +not convince a person to give away all his rights and data in one day. This was +gradual and slow. And it caught us all in surprise. When I really stopped and +thought about it, I felt repulsed. By really stopping and thinking about it, I +really mean stopping and thinking about it. Thoroughly and in depth. -Each step I took depleted my character a bit more. Like I was trading myself -bit by bit without understanding what it all meant. What it meant to be a full +Each step I took depleted my character a bit more. Like I was trading myself bit +by bit without understanding what it all meant. What it meant to be a full person, not divided by all this bought attention they want from me. They don't -just get your data, but they also take your attention away from you. They +just get your data, but they also take your attention away from you. They scatter your and go with the divide and conquer tactic from there. And a person divided is a person not fully there. Not at the moment. Not alive fully. -I was unable to form long thoughts. Well, I thought I was. But now that I see +I was unable to form long thoughts. Well, I thought I was. But now that I see what being a full person is again, I can see that I was not at my 100% back then. -A revolt was inevitable. There was no other way of continuing my story without -it. Without taking back my attention, my thoughts, my time, and my privacy, +A revolt was inevitable. There was no other way of continuing my story without +it. Without taking back my attention, my thoughts, my time, and my privacy, regardless of how too late it maybe is. -This has nothing to do with conspiracy theories. Even less with changing the -world. All I wanted was to get my life back in order and not waste the energy +This has nothing to do with conspiracy theories. Even less with changing the +world. All I wanted was to get my life back in order and not waste the energy that could be spent in other, better places. I started reading more. I can focus now fully on things I work on. Furthermore, I have the mental acuity that I never had before. My mind feels sharp. I don't -get angry so much. I can cherish the finer things in life now without the need +get angry so much. I can cherish the finer things in life now without the need to interpret them intellectually. Not only that, but I have a feeling of -belonging again. Sense of purpose has returned with a vengeance. And I can -now help people without depleting myself. +belonging again. Sense of purpose has returned with a vengeance. And I can now +help people without depleting myself. -The last step so far was to finish closing all the remaining online accounts +The last step so far was to finish closing all the remaining online accounts that I still had. And when I was thinking what value they bring me, I wasn't -surprised that the answer was none. I wasn't logging in them and using them. -I stopped being afraid of FOMO. If somebody wants to get in contact me, they -will find a way. I am one search away. - -We are not beholden to anybody. Our lives are our own. So dare yourself to -delete Facebook, LinkedIn. To unsubscribe. Dare yourself to take your time -and attention back. Use that time and energy to go for a walk without thinking -about work. Read a book instead of reading comment on social media that you -will forget in an hour. Enrich your life instead of wasting it. It only -requires a small step. And you will feel the benefits immediately. Lose the -weight of the world that is crushing you without your consent. +surprised that the answer was none. I wasn't logging in them and using them. I +stopped being afraid of FOMO. If somebody wants to get in contact me, they will +find a way. I am one search away. +We are not beholden to anybody. Our lives are our own. So dare yourself to +delete Facebook, LinkedIn. To unsubscribe. Dare yourself to take your time and +attention back. Use that time and energy to go for a walk without thinking about +work. Read a book instead of reading comment on social media that you will +forget in an hour. Enrich your life instead of wasting it. It only requires a +small step. And you will feel the benefits immediately. Lose the weight of the +world that is crushing you without your consent. -- cgit v1.2.3