
Ask HN: Are you an information addict? - ghotli
Do you check your phone too much? HN? Digg? Your email?<p>Are there things you really need to do rather than sit here and read HN?<p>What are you doing to deal with this?
======
edw519

      My friends all think
        that I'm a neb
      Cause I spend much time
        here on the web
    
      The good things here
        I do not abuse
      Except lots of time
        on hacker news
      
      I don't read reddit
        I will not digg
      I'm not on facebook
        My work's too big
    
      I do not text
        I do not tweet
      I just work on
        Things that are neat
    
      I check email
        throughout the day
      But there are no games
        that I will play
        
      My phone's on vibrate
        I do not chat
      My work is really
        Where it's at  
      
      Knuth and Turing
        are my big heroes
      I love to move
        Ones and zeros
       
      My head is down
        I'm in the mode
      Don't bother me
        I have to code
        
      Those who need me
        leave voicemail
      I'm much too busy
        trying not to fail
        
      I learn on-line
        and from my schools
      But I must avoid
        all sorts of trolls
        
      I can't believe
        I wrote this ode
      When I have so much
        I have to code
        
      I'm not an addict
        I have no drug
      I've got to go
        To fix a bug

~~~
ananthrk
I know a simple upvote is the way to show appreciation here, but this was too
good to leave at it. Excellent! Captures a lot of nuances well.

------
DanielBMarkham
Yes. I find myself consuming more and more material that contains information
that is more and more trivial.

Today's haul: found out the name and life story of the guy who played "Hoss"
on Bonanza. Read an essay on tax policies in a state several hundred miles
from my own. Went through an extended interview (linked from here) about life
in North Korea. Researched various types of pulse oximeters. And that's just
in the last couple of hours.

At one point in my life I would have thought "I have a voracious appetite for
new knowledge. This is a good thing" But lately I'm seeing this in not-as-
flattering terms. I'm more or less picking up little shiny things simply
because they glitter. There's no depth or follow-through. There's no long-
range goal of acquiring knowledge in any one area. It's all just stimulus-
response.

~~~
10ren
Sounds similar to pure science, which often ends up finding a use (you know
that mathematician who deliberately choose an abstract area with no
applications so that it would never end up being used for military purposes -
and it was)

It's testable: has anything in the past week (say) turned out to be useful in
a way that you didn't expect at the time? (hindsight may obscure how useless
it seemed before) Of course it might take much longer for its use to appear.
Sometimes indirect, eg you learn concepts/principles from taxes in another
state, which later help you understand your own state's tax policies (or
something else altogether).

------
raheemm
I am embracing it. I am trying to create a life that will allow me to gather
information all day long and get paid to do it.

~~~
revorad
How are you doing it? Care to elaborate?

~~~
raheemm
Sure. I identified the kinds of information I like (business and technology).
Then I identified the skills I have (technology). Then I tried to find a niche
that seemed underserved and combined my interest, skills and met an additional
goal of teaching me something new. I'll be posting a link to my site in a few
days here at HN - sort of as an official launch.

------
mgw
I am an information addict as well.

I get annoyed, when I've already browsed through the HN frontpage and nothing
new turns up upon refresh. At those times I wonder if the amount of really
interesting, insightful and fresh(!) material produced on the web is still
quite limited or if we aren't doing a good enough job of surfacing it
according to everyones individual taste.

------
iuguy
I'm a massive information addict. The problem is that there are always things
that need to be done.

I'm going to google information addiction now, see you in a week.

------
kunley
I like long periods of being offline.

Still, looking for information is a common way of procrastinating. So for me
spending too much time on HN is an indication that I'm pushing away something
to do which actually bores me.

The best way to deal with it is to finish that boring thing and switch into
doing something exciting and get "into the phase" with new task.

Sport helps also.

I like and admire community here, you are talented and insightful people,
still I've had the best experience here when I just was absorbing information
after long periods of being offline and the time I spent here was planned.
Also, it was best when I hang around here at the end of the day, not by the
morning coffee.

Reading news/email/whatever by the morning coffee, while tempting, is actually
harmful for my focus needed to perform things after the coffee. Sad but true.

------
petercooper
I believe there are different types of information addiction. Checking email
and IM too frequently is hardly likely to benefit you, but reading Wikipedia
and articles related to your profession, for example, can give you a serious
edge.

Be addicted to information "assets" and drop the ephemeral stuff.

------
CaptainMorgan
Definitely an info addict here, in your terms... I like to think I let that
information come to me through email, one of the only mediums I check and if
not, I let my natural curiousity drive me. However, rather than an addict,
which might be acceptable, I prefer to call it a case of being a human sponge.
I consider the stimulation of my brain to be a great exercise and therefore of
great importance, having learned it from a late family member through
anecdotal evidence of them having lived a very long and intelligent life. Of
course, even too much of a good thing can be bad, so a healthy balance should
be encouraged.

I can't help but point to this: <http://www.ehow.com/how_2070387_keep-aging-
brain-active.html>

Scroll down to where it says "Exercise the Brain". While I believe the 1st
notation is obvious - exercise both body and brain of which I do to deal with
it, not everyone has the energy to keep a regular physical regiment. However,
I practically endorse #2: _Keep your brain active every day. Play trivia
games, do crossword puzzles, word games or read daily._ and #3: _Start
something new to challenge your brain. Take up a brand new hobby, learn a new
language or write a book. Get on the computer and research something that
interests you, like genealogy or your family history._

To answer your question, sitting here and being an info addict are quite
possibly two different things. It's all about prioritization and balance - in
that case maybe a better question might be: could one instead be a HN addict?

------
rhl
I am an information addict.

I am making things worse by compulsively reading blog posts on low information
diet: [http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/category/low-
informatio...](http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/category/low-information-
diet-and-selective-ignorance/)

------
maxklein
Information is mostly just noise. The actual useful stuff comes rarely, so I
try as much as possible to minimize the external information I get that is not
important - for example, the news. The news are mostly totally unimportant and
irrelevant. If you read the news twice a week, that's more than fine.

I also believe in using tools that pre/filter the info I get so I don|t have
to wade through junk to read the info that could be useful to me.

Information gathering can be a big time waste with no direct benefit. But it\s
addictive, and hence dangerous.

~~~
ghotli
"I also believe in using tools that pre/filter the info I get so I don|t have
to wade through junk to read the info that could be useful to me."

Care to elaborate on your methods?

~~~
maxklein
Nothing spectacular - I don't subscribe to blogs or forums or newssites, just
to news aggregators that allow some form of voting then only read the highest
ranked stuff.

------
JangoSteve
I consider myself to be an information addict. I spend probably half of my
day, everyday, reading news/blogs/books.

The real trick is to not just consume information, but to digest it. I.e.
don't merely eat a lot, make sure you have a high [information] metabolism.
Understand what you read and share what you understand.

I decided that I'm happiest when I'm learning, so why fight it? I quit my job
a year ago, and since then have managed to channel my information addiction to
create a very satisfying lifestyle consulting and building my own companies
with the information I've learned (and continue to learn).

------
goodside
I accept that some people, perhaps even most people, are fully immune to
anything like Internet addiction. If you're one of those people, great. I envy
you. But I can say from first-hand experience that compulsive Internet use
("Internet addiction" is a casual misnomer at best) is real. Further, I very
strongly suspect that low-latency Internet connections, up-to-the-minute news
and blogs, and social sharing of content have exacerbated such compulsions by
enabling and rewarding rapid-fire consumption and shallow analysis of content.

I doubt these inventions are the only cause of Internet compulsion, but they
encourage it in people who have pre-existing compulsive tendencies.
Analogously, gambling addiction is known to be caused by excessive
dopaminergic activity in the brain, but that doesn't change the fact there
would be less of it if there were no casinos.

Many studies show ( <http://bit.ly/deum0v> ) that compulsive Internet use
responds to the same sorts of medications used to treat OCD, namely SSRI
antidepressants. You might want to consider speaking with a doctor if your use
is really that severe. For me, they have helped considerably.

------
olalonde
I guess so: I just read all the comments in this thread :/

------
fmeyer
"We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom" - Edward Osborne
Wilson

That's something I keep in my mind while I'm coding my one-man-startup
project. We have a large amount of information disponible but not enough time
to consume it, or even we don't get relevant stuff to read. I've been
researching NLP, Semantics and TextMining since university but never faced a
real word problem to work with.

My actual project register your interests based on your previous
bookmarked/visited websites and suggests summarized content from mainstream
information hubs like digg, reddit and HN.

Once I get my cloud/infrastructure done with hackspace, I will release a beta
test for the first 2^8 pigraph's twitter follower.

<http://pigraph.com/>

------
j_baker
I am an information addict as long as there isn't anything more interesting
that demands my time. If there's something that I need to work on, it had
better be _thrilling_.

------
wgren
I am trying to use the Pomodoro technique - focus hard for 25 minutes, then
relax for 5. This of course requires closing down mail, Twitter etc apps while
a Pomodor is running.

Unfortunately I still have problems, it is far too easy to open up a browser
window and start looking at Hacker News, Digg, Engadget etc. I am thinking
about making my own Pomodoro script which puts all my favourite timewasting
sites in /etc/hosts where I can't reach them.

~~~
ghotli
The pomodoro technique seems like allowing yourself a hit of heroin every few
days, even though you know it's a problem. I've never been able to follow it
for long enough for it to be effective. Any tips?

~~~
wgren
I guess you should try to see every time you fail to do a Pomodoro what it was
that caused you to lose focus, and seek to eliminate that distraction.

For me, losing flow due to long compile times, having to download libraries or
something is a sure focus killer.

And as I said, just idle web browsing is a problem that I should try to take
care of. :)

------
nekopa
I am definitely an info addict, but I have been working on turning that into
being a knowledge addict instead. I've been trying for ~2 months, and so far
here is what I am doing:

First I have set up an intense learning regime for myself, my first 'semester'
is on the basics in a lot of different subjects. (math, physics, nutrition,
fitness, programming theory, gardening, writing, photography, chemistry,
taoism, buddhism, carpentry and a few others)

Second I have worked up a basic triage system for dealing with all of the
information that I have flowing to me: 1st off is it of interest or not, is
yes then why? For entertainment or for knowledge? If it is for entertainment
then I will read it if I have accomplished my learning goals for the day, if
not, oh well, into the trash. If its for knowledge then does it apply to one
of my learning topics? If not, then bookmarked for a rainy day or another
semester.

For the stuff that applies to one of my current learning topics I apply the
methodology from "How to read a book" (recommended to me by someone here, and
I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to read to go from "understanding
less to understanding more") and scan it to see if and where it has a place in
my learning network/schedule, then put it into my learning tracking database
for integration into this or a later semester depending on how it fits.

Its been an interesting couple of months, and I will start blogging about how
this process is coming along. After a bit of a wobbly start, and a hard time
finding good resources on how to make self-guided learning more efficient I am
starting to see good progress in my learning, feel more comfortable with my
online consumption and am really starting to make some progress on my start-up
ideas and just my life in general.

------
ax0n
Define "too much," please. :P

I research things I'm interested in and passionate about. I want to know more.
I'm an infosec guy by career and I can tell you that there is no way one can
master all aspects of it. This should come as no surprise to entrepreneurs,
developers, or geeks in general, really.

I'm currently interested in learning more about computer forensics. I have
basic knowledge, but want to familiarize myself better with the methods,
tools, and tricks of the trade. As usual, I also want to understand the
counter of that -- anti-forensics technologies.

All the while, I surround myself with other bits of infosec news and
knowledge, industry thought leaders, document what I play with, and eventually
write about it to share it with others. There's no sense being a hoarder of
information. Sometimes I come up with something genuinely unique. Other times,
I feel like more of a curator.

I have other interests as well: bicycling, mechanical repair (think:
automotive, appliance, etc) just to name a few. I'm equally as passionate
about those things as well, and spend a good deal of my time learning about
those things and putting them to practice.

------
Npeck
I'm addicted to the feeling I get when I split my focus into a thousand
different streams. Yoga seems to be the only remedy for the 54 tabs I
currently have open.

When I'm away from my computer for an extended time I feel better physically
and spiritually. I also get nothing done. We need to treat these machines with
the respect we give hallucinogens and power tools.

------
prole
I highly agree with the notion that one shouldn't deny one's weaknesses, and
instead try to turn them into strengths (as raheemm and joshkaufman have
written in this thread). This question, "Are you an information addict?" came
at an opportune time, as I just finished reading this gem from Neil Postman,
titled "Informing Ourselves to Death."

The talk looks at disruptive technologies, but points out that there are
"losers" as well as "winners" when these emerge, and proceeds to explain why
information has become nearly meaningless. His conclusions are in direct
conflict with what I imagine many people here believe about the boon computers
and information have provided to the world, but his argument is an interesting
one, and hopefully it will challenge the way you think about this "Information
Age."

It can be read here: <http://www.mat.upm.es/~jcm/postman-informing.html>

[edit: found a better copy to link to]

------
Pistos2
I only consume Hacker News via a summarizing service which gives only "top"
Hacker News links. I skim my FriendFeed when I don't have time to read in
depth, and don't have a problem _not_ clicking on things. I keep my FriendFeed
relatively spartan; if a blog, feed, or tweetstream doesn't provide at least
50% interesting posts, I don't follow it. HN is the only linkroll / news site
I follow. At the day job, I set my email client to download new mail only once
every hour, so the "you've got mail" systray icon won't distract me too often.
If it's important enough, someone will show up in person to ask whether I
received the email they sent. Only a small set of people ever phone me with
any regularity, and I like it that way.

------
blados
My problem is I read a lot, I am open mind to a very wide variety of subjects.
I like reading and I know I am not alone with that, here on HN. The main
question is: do you use those information somewhere else or it just sticks in
your brain for some later usage? Even if I am focused only on information that
I am intrested with it is _too__much_ to gather everything. So, filtering.
Still too much. Maybe it's time to switch internet off? There will be always
something interesting to read/watch/listen but what will you do on blackout?

------
bmj
Two things:

1\. I kinda thought I was, then I left for a one month road trip with limited
connectivity. When I did have connectivity, I checked email, local news, and
HN, and that was it. I had no urge to keep up with anything else. It was kinda
nice.

2\. In his _Technological Society_, Jacques Ellul writes the following: "We
are constrained to be 'engaged,' as the existentialists say, with technique."
Though this was written over 40 years ago, it very much describes our current
information age.

------
whimsy
The only thing that seems to consistently work for me is disabling my internet
connection. Freedom (<http://macfreedom.com/>) is what I've used. Apparently
it costs $10 now, but also works on both Windows and OS X.

With linux, I expect it would be fairly simple to write a script that did the
same thing, though I don't know how it would get enforced.

------
cheald
I absolutely am an information addict. I've known that about myself for a
whole, and I've tended to embrace it. Information addiction is a facet of a
love of learning; to love information simply for the sake of information is
somewhat useless, but to love it for the sake of learning, growing, and
enriching oneself is a noble goal, I think.

------
jeromec
I'm mostly an information addict when I'm coding in long stretches. What works
for me is taking breaks from focusing on logic, just any sort of different
mental direction. That's where HN comes in really handy, and as a matter of
fact it's how I came to be on this thread.

------
seltzered
I just realized I'm an information addict today while reading The 4 hour
workweek.

I think I'm going to start by moving my mail icon away from my iphone
homescreen, and setting up a few push reminders to ask whether I am focusing
on what I want to do and not wasting time.

~~~
seltzered
this said, i've realized that these days I spend more time reading
entrepreneurship HN/mixergy/kalzumeus/etc. than checking any local/us news
anymore.

------
Estragon
Yes. In my case, it's an avoidance strategy. Avoiding things I am scared of,
but actually enjoy when I get into them. I'm learning a better way to relate
to that fear.

------
Aron
I read so much and retain so little. Everything new pushes out something old.
Jason Calcanis might be a dick. I'm still working on my conclusion about that.

------
rhl
I am an information addict, and this is what HN makes me do:
<http://www.benjamincoe.com/tetris/>

:-)

~~~
plq
No, you are not. You're just another professional procrastinator ;)

------
jacoblyles
Life's a constant struggle against stimulus.

------
carterschonwald
I prefer the term infovore

------
enki
developing recommendation systems.

~~~
ajju
This seems to be the approach du jour to 'curing information overload', but a
recommendation system typically manifests itself as yet another information
source. In my experience, they always exacerbate the problem.

------
kees
A long time ago I turned from effective use of the Internet into a consuming
mood. Consuming information. “Enough is enough” doesn't play any role on the
Internet. You will never consume enough information and there's always
something new to discover. Most of the time the information you read will not
add anything to your knowledge, or your productivity. Don't blame the
Internet, understand that it is all your fault. If you are a person who likes
to procrastinate, prefer to read than to act, you will easily fell in the
traps of the Internets. Personally these are my solutions to handle the
problem;

If you think something is an interesting read, skim it(or in other words, scan
it for useful information), bookmark it for later. And probably you will never
spent a lot of time on the article . And if a need for this article pops in
your head, you can easily find it back.

Never use on-line documentation for studying or as a reference when doing
something productive on the computer. Always download the necessary files
(pdfs online) beforehand. Prepare you for your task, collect the information
on line but when starting the task: just switch of the Internet, even better
don't have any physical connection with the web.

I love a minimalistic desktop, remove the webbrowsers' icons on your desktop
or any menu panel. Just start your browser with a keyboard shortcut. The
inviting sweet internet entrances, which you're conditioned to press when you
want to avoid a task or need an information kick are gone. Recondition
yourself when using the new shortcuts: Think about the purpose you want to use
the web and what time you want to spent on that task.

You never spent time a lot of time consuming useful information, because you
will directly apply this information to anything productive. With the
Internet, you find the stuff you want in a glance. The problem is information
you're consuming, the interesting stuff you want to read, all the stuff what's
coming in an endless stream.

Don't read any opinionated stuff published on an obscure web blog written by
an obscure person without any (productive) accomplishments. Probably you won't
miss anything useful.

Just check your favorite websites daily, preferably weekly. Try to optimize
the interval between visits. If you follow some interesting people or blogs,
which doesn't publish daily, just subscribe to the feed using your email.

Allow yourself time on the Internet to do and read anything you like,after
work and just set yourself a time limit. Because overall for me the internet
is a great discovery mechanism, which increases my productivity. But do it
consciously.

Most of the time I don't use the Internet dominantly when I'm sitting beyond
my screen. I always need it for something I want to do.

PS I only use Facebook is an interactive address book, twitter to follow some
interesting persons and Gtalk/AOl for colleagues, when working on a project.

------
hackermom
No.

