Going incommunicado (for a while)

The trouble with email, Twitter, Skype and the phone is that they are all means of intrusion, to some extent. Well, at the moment, I have some articles that I really do need to finish. Yesterday I was thwarted in my attempts to do so because of various in-coming communications combined with an alarming lack of willpower on my part.

So, I have set my email to Offline mode (I need it running in order to access some information in it), turned my phone off, exited from Twitter and quit from Skype. Basically, I have done the electronic equivalent of the actions Joe Cocker describes in a song called “Dangerous Mood”:

I parked the car down the street

And I unplugged the phone

So it would look just like

Ain’t nobody home.

Mind you, his motives for doing so were somewhat different to mine, but I won’t go into that. You can listen for yourself, here:

I hope to be back online later today. In the meantime, here is something that might be worth thinking about: we keep hearing about the 24/7 society, and anywhere, anytime learning. But what starts out as a choice soon becomes an expectation, and even an obligation. For example, I actually feel guilty for going offline and not being able to be contacted! Perhaps we need to take steps to discourage expectations.

For instance, if a student sends you something to comment on at 2 am, should you respond as soon as you wake up (or right there and then if you happen to be online)? I think there is a case for not responding for a day, or at least for several hours, so as to not encourage a no-sleep approach to life.

I don’t care how “switched on” you are: everyone needs to “get off the grid” some time!

Comments?

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Comments

[John McLear]

Analogue August is where it's at for me, I was introduced to the concept by Tim R. The great thing about forcing yourself to go offline for a while is that it ads resiliency to ones responsibilities as you have to devolve them during that period.

It's actually for the best and it's something PT encourages me to do, which is nice in a weird way :P

[Julia Skiner]

You are so right Terry. I need help in pressing the off switch sometimes but need to in order to maintain my sanity! See you later!

[Elaine Willis]

Whenever I need to accomplish something that requires me to concentrate for extended periods, I have to move away from the computers. There are too many distractions available when I am online.

As far as responding immediately to others, I rarely answer the telephone when I am at home. I let the answering machine get it, and respond at my leisure. I am actually more likely to respond to an email, tweet, etc. than I am to the phone.

[John Cyrus]

Hello Terry,
Incommunicado or going offline should be normal as one taking a break/rest from work and going to bed in the night. I mean, online living should not violate the principles of natural living. You are absolutely right again. You think always correctly!
Regards,
John Cyrus

[John Blake]

I agree that it is a good idea to disconnect from our digital baggage every now and then. Unfortunately, I'm not always willing to do that... I do, however, allow a "waiting period" before I respond to a message from a parent of one of my students. I don't want them to get used to instant responses because there will always be that inevitable techno glitch that prevents me from responding...then I have to hear about how disappointed they were that I couldn't be reached in a timely manner. Maybe I'll give the unplugged life a try, after all...let me post something on my blog and see what my tweeps say about it on my Facebook page. ;-)

[Terry Freedman, Educational ICT Consultant]

John M, I don't think I could bear to be offline for a whole month!

[Terry Freedman, Educational ICT Consultant]

LOL @ Julia. Me too! Hence this website not having been updated for nearly a week!

[Terry Freedman, Educational ICT Consultant]

Hi, Elaine. The only way I can get any work done is to go completely incommunicado for a period. For example, I can get tons of work done in a non-internet cafe with my phone turned off!

[Terry Freedman, Educational ICT Consultant]

Thanks, John C. I agree about it being as natural as going to bed for the night, or should be. A lot of expectations and social pressure make it hard to take that stance all the time I think.

[Terry Freedman, Educational ICT Consultant]

Thx, John B. I've always thought that waiting to resond to email is crucial, for several reasons, including the one you mentioned: much better to under-promise and over-deliver. LOL @ your "unplugged" comments