Slave to the Web

My month of reducing my superfluous web browsing is over.  Looking over my list of what I said I would not do online, it is clear that I part-succeeded and part-tanked this challenge. Here’s a brief report card of how I did with each item:

     1. I'll be abstaining from all items listed under "Super Superfluous." 

This was a mixed bag. In terms of social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), I abstained almost 100%.  I accidentally logged into FB the very first day.  That’s it.  If this were the whole of my “Super Superfluous” category, I’d get an A.  But it isn’t. While I managed not to peruse online stores for things I don’t need, and avoided YouTube and strangers’ blogs, I totally looked up every cast member of Game of Thrones on IMDB.  AND I spent over an hour late at night reading stupid gossip on EOnline!  Grade: C 

"Moon of my life, my sun and stars" Credit: HBO

      2.  I will spend no more than 15 minutes daily looking at friends' blogs and the news 

          online.

Aside from gossip “news” on EOnline! (so not news), I did keep myself in check here. Grade: A

It's kind of like dating. But it isn't.

(FYI: I took no special pictures for this post, nor did I scour the internet for appropriate images.  Thanks to my friends and family for having adorable pets.)

Ten days into "No Superfluous Web Browsing" month and I’ve only logged onto Facebook once, entirely by accident—you’re a hard, hard habit to break, Facebook.  As soon as I saw my feed pop up and realized my mistake, I logged out IMMEDIATELY, I swear.  I know I’m not missing anything *too* crucial, because I set it up so I get an email for any messages to me, any events, and any notes or tags (I’m on to you, QH).  But I do kind of miss it.  I feel a little out of the loop.  So I’m trying to redouble my efforts to add more connection to friends outside the social media universe and that’s proving to be a little, how should I say it, humbling…?

Look at that humble face! (Friends' dog)

Quit Your Superfluous Web Browsing Already!

Superfluous
--adjective
1. being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. 
2. unnecessary or needless.

3.  Obsolete. Possessing or spending more than enough or necessary; extravagant.

I'm seeking to greatly reduce my "Superfluous Web Browsing" for my Operation Consumption Liberation challenge in August.   You may be asking, what exactly qualifies as "Superfluous Web Browsing."  Excellent question. Here are some examples of what, in my subjective opinion, isn't, might be, and totally is "superfluous web browsing":

A letter to my Facebook friends.

In preparation for No Superfluous Web Browsing month, I just posted a shorter version of this as a note of my Facebook page. 

Dear Facebook friends,

Perhaps you've been following my "Operation Consumption Liberation" project on my blog.  If you've haven't, here's the gist of it: every month I've been giving up or restricting my consumption of a different object or behavior.  These are things, I feel, in which overindulging has a negative impact, be it on my physical health or success, or on the environment.

For August, I'm restricting the amount of time I spend consuming all the random crap the internet has to offer.  I want Superfluous Web Browsing to consume less of my time.  I'm still pinning down exactly what I think "superfluous web browsing" and what I will allow myself to do. (Like, looking up the weather forecast?  Okay.  Reading Wil Wheaton's totally geeky blog late at night? No, no, no.)  But here's the one parameter for this month I'm set on: No Facebook.