

High sobriety  - teyc
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/high-sobriety-20110409-1d8gz.html?comments=71#comments
While this is not tech, it is interesting because this guy (Australian) tackled the issue of the weekend binge unconventionally. Instead of harping on the problems of alcohol damage, he turned his energy into blogging over a 3 month period of self-imposed abstention.<p>He writes about the gradual process of insight and discovery about who he is (doesn't have to drink to be fun), and who his real friends are (when he tries to abstain for 3 months), and eventual realization he doesn't need alcohol and how alcohol has embedded itself into society.
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teyc
While this is not tech, it is interesting because this guy (Australian)
tackled the issue of the weekend binge unconventionally. Instead of harping on
the problems of alcohol damage, he turned his energy into blogging over a 3
month period of self-imposed abstention.

He writes about the gradual process of insight and discovery about who he is
(doesn't have to drink to be fun), and who his real friends are (when he tries
to abstain for 3 months), and eventual realization he doesn't need alcohol and
how alcohol has embedded itself into society.

Before the internet, this would have to be a very isolating process. One is
almost a pariah, unless one decided to become religious or joined AA. But with
the internet, he has found a bigger circle of people who cheer him on and gave
him support.

~~~
martey
The site at <http://hellosundaymorning.com.au/> is somewhat interesting, but I
am not sure why you linked to this SMH article. The article is only
tangentially related, since it is about the writer's personal journey with
alcohol abstinence as opposed to Chris Raine's website.

~~~
teyc
I thought the journalists own experience when HSM validated the idea and gave
it sufficient credibility to start a discussion. I am curious. In this age
where we talk about gamification etc, what is the underlying approach in HSM?

I wonder if HSM offers an alternate way to socially validate oneself. e.g. the
HSM offers an outlet for people who still want to be around their friends, and
still want to enjoy themselves, but would rather have a Sunday without
hangover. i.e. HSM works just like formspring.me or MySpace.

Or is HSM approach a easy way for people to see that they can reinvent
themselves and pry people away from their dependencies by voluntarily quitting
for 3 months. The end of the process seems to be one where some people no
longer see why it is necessary to go back to their old ways. This is the YC
model where people effectively learn new skills over 3 months in a new
environment.

Perhaps blogging is a way of letting people express themselves in a different
manner, one more cerebral, perhaps a more introverted one where there is
deeper self analysis?

What else can we learn from here?

