Too much digital?

Skyw4lker

I got a thought... maybe a discussion to be had...

I work in IT and I have done for over 10 years but in this day and age I somewhat feel overwhelmed at times due to 2 reasons.

1.) Big brother / data privacy and how everything is captured for marketing purposes. Got nothing to hide but I feel like the internet is not what it once was (which is a shame).

2.) Screens - work all day in front of a computer, use phone anytime not looking at computer - go home - TV is on (games consoles etc).

I’m minimalist with a lot of things so I have started to limit uses etc but I just wondered if anyone else ever feels overwhelmed by any of the 2 points above.


My point one regarding privacy - I use Linux with ad blockers etc at home (Windows unfortunately at work). I’m thinking of dumbing down my phone (budget phone - non- standard OS - any recommendation outside of the new classic Nokia range?)

My point regarding screens - I say this also due to a lot of eye strain. I’m going to check with the opticians again (I believe you can get purple tinted glasses to help block out the blue light?) - i have kindle and love e-ink so may look into an e-ink Phone.
As much as I love gaming I guess I need to introduce my activity outside or meditate etc go get less screen time.

Any one else ever feel overwhelmed? I love IT and have developed well and don’t want to change career.

that

Yes, all of us in the office have. Once it becomes your job, as time goes by (40 years in IT), it seems to leech out the enthusiasm from your soul. Suppose it it not being able to do your own thing, at your own pace and play any more - Mc Job, just keep flipping those burgers.

For the last 10+ years I no longer watch TV either, and do not have one. Stopped coding too.

dealer_wins

Agree with a lot of your post OP. Im on my screens many hours, and constant email, whatsapp groups etc

Its bliss when im on holiday away as I dont go online at all, its a lovely relaxing change a couple of weeks every year.

boliston

one of the problems with 'free' email like gmail and hotmail is that they 'harvest' all your email content for advertising purposes - having your own email address (domain) avoid this and only costs a few quid a year.

regarding screen use i am looking at screens a fair bit but at least i don't own a tv - i find small screens like laptops quite tiring so have a larger 27" screen for home use - for phones it is best to go for the largest possible screen - some of the smaller iphones have tiny screens that would soon give me eye strain

wongataa

Skyw4lker wrote: »

My point regarding screens - I say this also due to a lot of eye strain. I’m going to check with the opticians again (I believe you can get purple tinted glasses to help block out the blue light?)

Eye strain won't be caused by blue light. Is your screen too bright? Out of the box most screens are. Turn the brightness down to see if it helps. Is the screen at an appropriate distance from you to see clearly. Are the icons/text at a suitable size to see clearly? Most people don't blink enough when looking at computer screens. Make sure you blink. Also, take regular breaks from looking at your screens throughout the working day. Just a couple of minutes every half hour or so and look at things different distances away.

Owain_Moneysaver

It's not just the internet.

Windows 10 privacy and licence terms are appalling.

And I years for the days when I could spend an afternoon loading winsock and memmaker and it would work at the end. I'm on my third day of trying to fix Windows 10 DNS problem. How in 2018 can MS issue an OS that can't play nicely with the rest of the internet ...

Actually Windows 10 isn't an OS, it's Windows NT 3.5 with some 'apps' masquerading as a user interface.

John_Gray

Well, I've spent several days trying to get Linux Mint 18.3 and 19 Cinnamon to see the 'Windows Network' in the file manager Nemo.
Sometimes 18.3 sees it, then after a reboot it's gone. I've never got 19 to see the 'Windows Network'.

So the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side of the Windows fence...

Owain_Moneysaver

John_Gray wrote: »

Well, I've spent several days trying to get Linux Mint 18.3 and 19 Cinnamon to see the 'Windows Network'

smbclient -L <hostname> -U cashew

then go and give the Windows Firewall a sound kicking :rotfl:

onomatopoeia99

Taught myself programming in 1981, been a programmer professionally for 27 years, plus while I was a "16/17/18 year old trainee" in my summer job nominally doing data entry (and they realised that the £2.80 they were paying me was cheaper than the £35 they were paying the consultant sat next to me doing the same thing)


Still love it. Still do all my own IT stuff, run an ESXi server at home with various VMs (Windows and Linux) etc etc. Have a 50" Pioneer Kuro plasma which I'm currently watching a motor race on. Completely not bored with screens.


Not bored yet. Do get frustrated with programmers that can't configure a router though. People working with computers these days don't seem to have the breadth of knowledge or willingness to tackle problems outside of their own little box that we saw 20 or 30 years ago.

GunJack

Skyw4lker wrote: »

1.) Big brother / data privacy and how everything is captured for marketing purposes. Got nothing to hide but I feel like the internet is not what it once was (which is a shame).

2.) Screens - work all day in front of a computer, use phone anytime not looking at computer - go home - TV is on (games consoles etc).


Any one else ever feel overwhelmed?

1. Yes, absolutely agree with this...you can't use a stock phone or tablet without having apple/google account for the data harvesters, pretty much any app you want to use needs to access everything else on the device, etc., etc., etc.......MS going as bad if not worse with W10.

..then they have the cheek to say "Your privacy is important to us......" :mad: :mad:

2. After 37+ years of looking at screens of all sorts & sizes and circuits & components of ever decreasing sizes, I've finally had to get prescription glasses for reading & screen use. :mad:

I had predicted some years ago that the rise of computing/phones/tablets will lead to generations having overall worsening eyesight, especially as they start sooo young on them now...and it's finally caught up with me...

Tallaght

I get bombarded with ads with Gmail.