The ....."INTERNET' is ...."ADDICTIVE"

[Stuart G]

I guess I am NOT ALONE.

ANYONE ELSE FEEL THE SAME ABOUT THE INTERNET?

[usonian]

1. It all depends on "which internet" you use.

I keep fairly occupied with two news aggregators, DU, which I heavily filter for trolls and doom peddlers, and Hacker News. We all know about DU. It lets us share insights and encourage others (cuz nobody else is going to) and have some chuckles (the way I use it) and Hacker News is very heavily techie, and heavily moderated for trolls and sales pitches. But being a techie and infovore, I either share a pertinent article link here or save it as pdf for later review. There are over 200 new posts a day, but some, like details of massive hacks, or exciting developments in open source software have big relevance for me. I ad-block everything like crazy.

I avoid entirely the clickbait “trap you” sites, DESIGNED to be addictive via positive feedback on your likes (the echo chamber effect).

I decide what to read, and what to respond to.

My future strategy aims to install web-based software so that my “curiosity” web browsing time can turn immediately to productive work. Such software would be notebooks, kanban boards and lists.

[Skittles]

2. I hear you on the FB crap

it still boggles my mind when someone says they "unfriended" someone - are they back in high school?

[John1956PA]

3. I visit DU more that any other site. It resides on the WWW . . .

. . . which is a subset of the Internet. I have never thought to venture outside of the WWW and into the Dark Web. Doing so would require me to download specialized software and to acquire new skills. I hear that the Dark Web is filled with nefarious operators and that every name is an alias, a la "Smuggler's Blues" by The Eagles.

[usonian]

5. You can just download the Tor browser or other "onion" browser from an App Store.

Not recommending, because it requires new search sites. I only use a Tor browser to shop anonymously so that I’m not “branded” and then force-fed “recommended” items forever thereafter.

As a newbie to the web with onion addresses ( as I am) it’s more confusing than helpful, and the “ordinary” internet is more than I need already.

Reporters and whistleblowers do need such anonymity, and will run computers from a Tails optical disk or thumb drive for safety. Tor browser is integrated with that operating system.

[John1956PA]

6. Thank you for the info. The anonymity feature is great for shopping. n/t

[Midnight Writer]

4. I am addicted, and I don't even use social media sites like Facebook.

But I check my computer several times a day. The weather, the news, shopping, gaming. I spend hours every week watching live music on YouTube.