On-Line Streamlining

On Friday of this week I will shut down both my Facebook and Twitter accounts. In place of communicating via those outlets I intend to be a more consistent and diligent blogger. There are several reasons for this move which I will explain just briefly.

  1. I usually check all these accounts after dinner. That process entails checking Nelson email, personal email, Twitter updates (both reading and writing), looking at who added or dropped me on Twitter, checking Facebook updates from my "friends", and leaving comments. I could set up a link that combines Facebook and Twitter updates into one process, but that only saves a few moments of what takes about 45 - 60 minutes.
  2. My other personal interests, be they gardening or guitar or a few home improvement projects slated for the spring, suffer from the time taken up with living in the on-line world. Every so often my wife would like for me to just sit down and watch TV with her and I rarely ever do.
  3. After slacking off for the winter, I am back walking 4 miles every night (yes, every night) in what may be my last opportunity to stay off insulin.
  4. 99.9% of the people on Facebook are good people that I haven't seen since high school. I share with them mostly the accident of geography (i.e. from 1966 to 1978 our parents lived in the same school district).
  5. 90% of what happens on FB are games that are time sucks.
  6. Those who follow me on Twitter can also follow this blog.
  7. Most days, my life's just not that interesting to me much less to other people :-)
Life is about balance, and I'm not abandoning on-line communication or community. This is a great communications tool and I'll continue to use it as such. I'm just going to substitute late nights spent staring into my monitor for some spring sunshine, dirty hands, rehearsal time, time with family and friends IN PERSON, and exercise.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Peace be with you Jim, Jim
Anne Jackson said…
After taking a break from most everything online like blogging, Twitter & FB (sans the occasional comment or email) I commend you. It's been a month of being unplugged and it's been extremely eye opening.
Susan Cushman said…
I hear you about the balance thing, Jim... however, I did find a link to your blog through Michael Hyatt on Twitter:-) I only started Twittering a few weeks ago, actually, and I limit my tweet time to about 30 minutes a day, max. I'm big time into my blog, and bigger time into writing essays and working on a book. And oh that exercise thing. ouch. But I say kudos to you for pulling back on time spent away from family and health. Good luck!
Kimn said…
Good for you, Jim. You've touched on some of my own thoughts about my FB and twitter activity--both new to me, since Nov.08. I thought I'd keep my accounts open in order to announce blog posts, a great way to attract readers who might have missed them. I also just began using FB to contact members of the writers' group I founded and chair here in Iowa. So, there are ways to manage these tools and let them work for me. However, let me applaud your thoughtful analysis of setting priorities and taking time for the REAL. We need that reminder in today's electronically- charged world.
Anonymous said…
Hey Jim,

I hear you. I don't go to my FB or Twitter everyday, but I can see how it can eat into your time. Way to go with resetting you schedule to allow more of what's most important to you!

Carole B
Hi...I will follow you blogs..
I like the new widget for blogger which you can add and people can follow you that way also.
Cheers!
And good luck!
Julie Poplawski said…
My husband would agree and applaud you. But I would miss the 5 second updates I see on my clients and friends tweets I can scroll though the tweets and get caught up on my weight loss community. I can note how they feel and what they need to see from my next blog. I admit I don't know much about your business but mine needs Facebook at least fans AND Tweets!
Anonymous said…
Hi Jim. I'm getting concerned about the time and quality energy that going into FB as well. I do cherish the friends I've made these past years and keeping in touch with what happens with them. Think I'll try moderation (de-friending), and see if that lowers the noise level. Maybe substitute some hospitality (that lost discipline). Let me know if you get that sushi call.dw
Anonymous said…
Amen! I haven't closed down any accounts yet, but I feel more or less the same as you write in your blog.

Indeed, what happened to real interaction, instead of just the virtual one?
LifeHouse Blog said…
Read your blog via a RT from @MichaelHyatt!! I say a BIG "amen" to your reasons to disengage from Twitter and Facebook. I have been online since mid-December and I can see how time consuming it can be. Congrats on making the better choice!

Becky
Twitter: kbeck1
Jim,
I'm glad to hear that there will be more blog posts. After working in HR at a secular company for close to 10 years, I enjoy reading your thoughts on HR from inside a Christian business. What happened with the insurance?
Scott said…
I hear you! So much of my time is vacuumed away by all the various social media this and that's. I am honestly thinking about a corporate merger of all my virtual life.
Unknown said…
Lisa Faye,

Insurance renewal was the worst of my career. We had the perfect storm of increased claims activity, an ineffective broker (mandated by our ownership), leading to sharply higher costs and lower benefits for the workforce. We're almost finished with Open Enrollment, and after that I've got a few tricks up my sleeve yet. We believe the claims were a fluke, and we are re-marketing the plan with our old broker after a quarter of what we believe will be sharply lower claims. Its taken a couple of years off my life at this point and I still don't accept the outcome.
Anonymous said…
You have a great point about FB. It does eat away the minutes. I find to save time I hit FB either with my morning coffee or late at night when my child is asleep.

I do still enjoy connecting with old friends who are parents now and post photos of children, dogs, etc. I love reading about their families. I also enjoy connecting with relatives I rarely see except on holidays and funerals!
FB may be a fad with me, and I'll continue until the medium becomes too commercial and tedious (which seems to be rapidly happening with all of the changes they are presently making.)

Twitter has been more valuable to me in the long run. The people on Twitter I follow link to other information and articles they like. This variety of information is part of the attraction for me. When I see an link I like I can favorite to read later or click the link and explore. Many of the blogs I follow and include in my google reader were found from tweets. I found your interesting post through a tweet by Michael Hyatt.

I will be reading your blog to see how it feels to let FB and Twitter go!

Enjoy your spring!
Andrew R said…
Jim<

I recently made a similar move. I closed my Twitter account and my blog, but kept my facebook account open. I didn't have enough to say on my blog that wasn't personal and more easily shared on Facebook, and Twitter...? That just seemed like too much noise.
Blessings!
Andrew
Anonymous said…
Blogging is about one-way communications, if I don't come to your blog then I don't get to communicate with you. Where as FB and twitter allow me to view and filter multiple two-way communications. I gave up the blog for community approach. I found you via twitter.

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