Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
Ugh, I really need to change things around. I've come to realize that I'm on the computer so much that I'm at the point now where I'm almost done with it. From games to internet surfing, it's just way too much. I'm sure lots of you guys can relate to this, but for me I find I'm on for hours upon hours each day and it's not good! Being a web developer is the biggest problem because it requires me to be on for the whole day either working on something or keeping up with the latest web tech stuff.
I find that ever since the internet started getting big, I've been on too often, here's my story (I have to vent):
In 1995 I got my very first apartment. I landed myself a good job making microfiche and microfilm, and I loved it. Working shift work was great because I would get 3 days off one week and 4 days off the next. I was spending my free time either DJ'ing, hanging out, or going out and actually doing stuff.
At the end of 1997 I bought a computer and it was the first time I had the internet at home. I would go on occasionally at work but was not interested in it much. Last time I had a computer was around 1989 where I used it to play around with here and there but again, it was on occasion. So now here I am in 1997 with dial-up internet and the first day I went on, I think I was on for about 12 hours straight! The amount of content I saw was amazing, I was hooked.
By mid-1998, I was really accustomed to my computer now and the internet itself. What happened next? I stayed home a lot. A lot. My friends and I would go out quite often, I would be DJ'ing in most of my spare time, learning how to scratch, beat juggle, or just mix for fun. I would go to bars, clubs, movies, hang out, all the regular shit. But now I just spent my days off sitting at home on the computer, surfing and trying to make my own website.
At this point my friends didn't come around as much. They didn't have a computer yet and were still going out - I wasn't. More and more I kept using the computer and learning the ins and outs, to the point where I started to learn how to code and even build a computer.
Around 2003 when IllMuzik first blew up (for those that remember, there was a HUGE wave of new members in 2003 and the site was HOT), I was spending lots of my time working on IllMuzik. That's how I learned how to code even more because a lot was through trial and error, and it got to the point where people were asking me to do a website for them.
I never wanted to get into making websites, I just fell into it. It was fun, interesting, and challenging if anything, and around that time I was either between jobs or not making a big salary, so I stuck with making sites.
Fast forward to right now, 2011. I've done a lot over the years with just IllMuzik alone, but now I'm at the point where I'm wondering if this is the right path for me? Not sure. I've been struggling to answer that question for a while now and I don't know if I can ever truly answer it. Computers are awesome, web design and programming are great and I like doing it, but here's where it takes a spin:
Health / Lifestyle
Before I got my computer in 1997 I was skinny! I was always around 185. I was active, like I mentioned before - going out quite often and doing things. Ever since I've been on the computer it's all the opposite. I've put on weight, my eyesight is getting worse, and to top it off, my posture has become so bad that about 5 years ago I developed a pinched nerve in my neck and to this day it still bothers me.
I rarely go out, and even when I want to, my friends don't want to because they're most likely trapped in the technology dungeon.
I know it's all about balance. I could tell myself that I'll go on the computer each day for no more than 4 hours and spend the rest of the day doing other stuff, but in reality that's not a possibility. It all comes back to me being a web developer. That's a job where you're required to be online 24/7. It's not healthy and anyone that knows me, knows I love working out and hitting the gym. On the other hand, when I get home from the gym what do I do? Sit in front of the computer.
I'm not sure where I wanted this thread to go and if there's any point to this really except that I wanted to just vent. Maybe I'm just looking to see what you guys think and to get you to share any similar experiences you might have.
I think that technology is great but it's hard to have a balance when you have to use it every day, all day. I remember when I first got my pinched nerve, the therapist I went to told me that nowadays it's SO common for heavy computer users to come in with pinched nerves.
Anyway, if you've read all this, you get a high five from me....
I find that ever since the internet started getting big, I've been on too often, here's my story (I have to vent):
In 1995 I got my very first apartment. I landed myself a good job making microfiche and microfilm, and I loved it. Working shift work was great because I would get 3 days off one week and 4 days off the next. I was spending my free time either DJ'ing, hanging out, or going out and actually doing stuff.
At the end of 1997 I bought a computer and it was the first time I had the internet at home. I would go on occasionally at work but was not interested in it much. Last time I had a computer was around 1989 where I used it to play around with here and there but again, it was on occasion. So now here I am in 1997 with dial-up internet and the first day I went on, I think I was on for about 12 hours straight! The amount of content I saw was amazing, I was hooked.
By mid-1998, I was really accustomed to my computer now and the internet itself. What happened next? I stayed home a lot. A lot. My friends and I would go out quite often, I would be DJ'ing in most of my spare time, learning how to scratch, beat juggle, or just mix for fun. I would go to bars, clubs, movies, hang out, all the regular shit. But now I just spent my days off sitting at home on the computer, surfing and trying to make my own website.
At this point my friends didn't come around as much. They didn't have a computer yet and were still going out - I wasn't. More and more I kept using the computer and learning the ins and outs, to the point where I started to learn how to code and even build a computer.
Around 2003 when IllMuzik first blew up (for those that remember, there was a HUGE wave of new members in 2003 and the site was HOT), I was spending lots of my time working on IllMuzik. That's how I learned how to code even more because a lot was through trial and error, and it got to the point where people were asking me to do a website for them.
I never wanted to get into making websites, I just fell into it. It was fun, interesting, and challenging if anything, and around that time I was either between jobs or not making a big salary, so I stuck with making sites.
Fast forward to right now, 2011. I've done a lot over the years with just IllMuzik alone, but now I'm at the point where I'm wondering if this is the right path for me? Not sure. I've been struggling to answer that question for a while now and I don't know if I can ever truly answer it. Computers are awesome, web design and programming are great and I like doing it, but here's where it takes a spin:
Health / Lifestyle
Before I got my computer in 1997 I was skinny! I was always around 185. I was active, like I mentioned before - going out quite often and doing things. Ever since I've been on the computer it's all the opposite. I've put on weight, my eyesight is getting worse, and to top it off, my posture has become so bad that about 5 years ago I developed a pinched nerve in my neck and to this day it still bothers me.
I rarely go out, and even when I want to, my friends don't want to because they're most likely trapped in the technology dungeon.
I know it's all about balance. I could tell myself that I'll go on the computer each day for no more than 4 hours and spend the rest of the day doing other stuff, but in reality that's not a possibility. It all comes back to me being a web developer. That's a job where you're required to be online 24/7. It's not healthy and anyone that knows me, knows I love working out and hitting the gym. On the other hand, when I get home from the gym what do I do? Sit in front of the computer.
I'm not sure where I wanted this thread to go and if there's any point to this really except that I wanted to just vent. Maybe I'm just looking to see what you guys think and to get you to share any similar experiences you might have.
I think that technology is great but it's hard to have a balance when you have to use it every day, all day. I remember when I first got my pinched nerve, the therapist I went to told me that nowadays it's SO common for heavy computer users to come in with pinched nerves.
Anyway, if you've read all this, you get a high five from me....
