Offline for a month?

Can it be done? Perhaps even no SMS or phone. It seems bloody hard to imagine. The harder something is to imagine (so long as it’s not an unethical/bad thing), the more reason to experience it for real, no?

The moment the idea came to mind I felt compelled to share it with the interweb, which is a measure of the size of the task.

I gave up alcohol, all animal produce and caffeine for a month last January, for the hell of it. It wasn’t too hard. I still managed to go to the pub, drinking flower tea, but after an hour or so people didn’t seem quite as interesting as they did when I was drunk too!

So this year, how about going really hardcore and giving up the net and SMS?

done it many times on collection trips into the outback. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks. Sometimes without a shower or a cold beer either.

Does a UHF radio to contact the Flying Doctor Service count?

When you can’t get it doesn’t count. I’ve done weeks without shower and clothes on rotation before. It’s no big deal when you’re living that life (I am referring to travelling, not being a student).

The thing that really worries me is that it means no Radio 4 for a month!

[quote=“urodacus”]done it many times on collection trips into the outback. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks. Sometimes without a shower or a cold beer either.
[/quote]
I could do 5 weeks offline.
No shower… It’s a stretch.
No cold beer… Definitely not.

Shower was easy. Cold beers, sub zero temperatures or not, were fairly continuous.

I couldn’t do it as a matter of simple practicality. My livelyhood depends on access to the internet.

[quote=“fruitloop”]Can it be done? Perhaps even no SMS or phone. It seems bloody hard to imagine. The harder something is to imagine (so long as it’s not an unethical/bad thing), the more reason to experience it for real, no?

The moment the idea came to mind I felt compelled to share it with the interweb, which is a measure of the size of the task.

I gave up alcohol, all animal produce and caffeine for a month last January, for the hell of it. It wasn’t too hard. I still managed to go to the pub, drinking flower tea, but after an hour or so people didn’t seem quite as interesting as they did when I was drunk too!

So this year, how about going really hardcore and giving up the net and SMS?[/quote]
Nope. I’d rather cut off a finger.

[quote=“urodacus”]done it many times on collection trips into the outback. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks. Sometimes without a shower or a cold beer either.

Does a UHF radio to contact the Flying Doctor Service count?[/quote]
Now you reminded me of the Television series, Flying Doctors…loved that!

If I could not go for a week without alcohol, my wife would be justified in saying I had a problem.

Placing practicalities such as work aside, there is a similarity with leisure use of the internet.

The internet is useful and interesting - but if you can’t live without it, or don’t know that you can live without it, you are less free. I think it will be an interesting experience. I’ve read several pieces by journalists who’ve done it, for want of a story presumably, and they talk of getting their life back.

IF you are not in a work position where you are required to be on call 24/7, then by all means go for it!!!

I’ve done it several times while out in the field - the longest was 6 weeks with pretty much nothing. Although I did use our satellite phone once, and did find an internet cafe to check email once or twice during a stopover in a city (Now, of course, internet is popping up everywhere in that region, and you actually have a decent chance of finding it in a hotel).
It was kind of nice to be so cut off, somewhat liberating. But that was back when I was a student and was unlikely to get any really important emails. Email is my primary mode of communication for , and nowadays I’d get pretty worried about going more than a week or so without checking it.
I agree that if you don’t need to be connected for work, then go for it. But maybe tell people before you start start so they don’t get mad at you for ignoring their calls or emails :slight_smile:

I’ll check my email intermittently for 2011 work schedules and suchlike during my 5 week vacation in SA, but won’t be on the PC 6 hours/day, like I am here.

Also won’t use my phone much, as it’s much more expensive in SA (although I don’t use mine much anyways).

I’m sure I’ll go through an initial withdrawal, but will actually be more social (and thus the better for it).