As part of the great CHARLIE CRAIG INTERNET USAGE REDUCTION ACT OT 2008, I am taking this blog down. It’s been a lot of fun, but it’s changed and in a way, and so have I.
For one thing, this blog was born as MY SECOND STRIKE, coming about during last year’s writers union action. As such, I was gratified at the attention it received. It actually became a source of information on the strike, and was quoted, literally, around the world. I was proud to have started something that was actually useful, and I enjoyed authoring it. It was a great learning experience, and, to the extent that it helped some people keep up on what was going on during a very stressful period in all of our lives, I feel I did a service.
Once the strike was over, however, I went back to work. I had less time to post - except during network notes calls - and, frankly, I had less to post about: the blog transformed into more of a tech-centric aggregator, which, although still fun, wasn’t really providing a service that anyone couldn’t get anywhere else. What had been - even if just slightly - important, was now more of a hobby.
Which brings me to the other reason I’m taking this down: the rest of my life. A lot has been written lately about how our 24 hour access to information is a double-edged sword. I’m not breaking new ground by saying that although it can be a great advantage to receive and write emails at midnight or on a Sunday afternoon, it’s also a curse. There seems to be no downtime anymore, and, honestly, I need to create some. Leaving THE PROCESS is a step towards that, as is my nascent effort to curtail my iPhone usage and Twittering and general staring at my computer when I don’t have to. Obviously I’m an early adopter and information junkie, but when I find myself feeling obligated to respond to - or even check for - work emails at 6AM before I’ve taken a shower or midnight on the way to bed, I think I can say: it’s time to make a decision about what I HAVE to do and what I don’t have to do. And then take the latter amount of time and spend it, for example, with my family.
So, that’s what I’m doing. Responding to a fewer emails, and leaving the MacBook Pro closed every once in a while. And stepping away from here.
Until, maybe, the next strike.
Thanks for the time you’ve spent coming here, and for your positive feedback. It’s been a great ride.
C
