Topic: old times - some burn out - dead doc.... (Page 1 of 1)

a long time time ago when rotary phones were in style and everything was in black and white (2002 ) I posted this thread: jives first happy ozone post. It is my first post (at least recorded). I was brand new to the industry, bright eyed, excited and a die hard ozone zealot. Doc's work made my jaw drop. I had to learn the mysteries behind the madness. I tinkered and played, and loved every minute of it. And it seemed, if I was stumped, their was never a question I couldn't get answered here. And Doc would chime in here and chime in there.

Now, 7 years and countless websites (both personal and professional) later, I sometimes feel burnt out. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the web, design and development, but it seems the honeymoon is long over. Perhaps I need to tinker again. At times it might just be that it seems so saturated. (hey, facebook already does that, or I can get this done through flickr). I don't know.... has this happened to you? How did you shake it?

....life.

Did this happen to doc? aka Kevin Doyle who doesn't seem to tinker anymore as well or even post, or is he just too busy with other things.? Who knows.

Good to see you old comrades. I am not hardly as sad as this post seems, just in a moment of reminiscence. Hope all is well.

p.s
And it still seems I haven't mastered bbcode.

(Edited by jive on 07-07-2009 19:01)

Truth is, you never get out of the funk, man. The web used to be this place where creative, intelligent, eccentric people could come together and, you know, do stuff.

Now... Now it's all "social media." The phrase smacks of vainglorious backbiting. Social media, indeed. It has completely replaced normal social interaction, has all but eradicated the idea of meeting someone new that you actually have nothing in common with, and has removed us, collectively, from that great big ball we live in and has placed us squarely and succinctly into little squares with a list of our hobbies forever hanging behind us as a backdrop.

Now, if it's not a Facebook group, or a Twitter user with 10,000+ followers, or a website with a thousand digg, delicious, reddit, etc, icons hastily taped on to each entry, then it's not really a thing. It's not a real item to worry about, it's nothing to concern you. As we "social"ize each of our hobbies and desires into a sanitary urn, we lose something. "Viral marketing" has replaced real marketing. Innovation is ignored because we finally found out what the Web was really good for: More noise.

Me, I am over the web. I'm good with it, and I like to craft applications that harness the power of the user. But I'm a minority. And the last thing I want to do with my time these days is to shepherd new developers and designers with their stale ideas into a marketplace already dominated by mediocrity. So I don't even write about what I do anymore. These days, I write about what is in my head, and ignore any democratization of my thoughts.

The Web used to be free, my friend. Now it's a big, meaty fruit, a bland, texture-less fruit that millions feast at every moment, and with each bite take a little piece of my soul with it.

But me... Yeah, I'm as sad and angry as this post seems

-S

Deep thoughts, thanks for sharing. My short take is that anything loses its novelty over time. I certainly never conquered the web (meaning that I'm great or even good at it), but I definitely feel like I've utilized it for all I could utilize it for. I agree with Stephen. More noise indeed. I've gone through falling in and out of love with design over the years and funny enough, I seem to always return to it. I'm definitely rusty upon my returns and not even sure what I want out of a career at this point. I've decided life goes on and honestly the job portion of it has become just that for me. It's just a job, no matter what I do. As long as it pays my bills and allows me time with my loved ones, I don't need it to be too much more fulfilling. There was a time when I would have been shocked I just said that, but not now.

Good luck and I hope you're able to rekindle your romance with the web, if that's what you want.

Teh Intrawebs.

Teh Final Frontier.

Since I avoid such places like Facebook&Co. and wouldn't know a Twitter from a Dweeb, I still find the internet to be a pretty awesome place, myself.

I come mostly for information, fun, and just to explore - and that has remained the same as back then when it all got started for me. True, my tastes have changed, as has my directions (I don't do webdesign anymore and I haven't really done any graphic work for ages). But the frontier is still there - much is explored and settled, of course. And yeah, wherever civilization (re: the Masses) finds foot, human mediocracy is not far behind.

I just move with the Fringe, myself.

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

Me, like the others, know exactly what you mean. I'm in the same boat myself. And not just with web, but computers in general. I still love them, but not like I did. I still do some web design stuffs but I don't enjoy it like I did. Actually, I just finished two web sites. I think it was when I started doing it for other people and for money that the fun fell out. I don't think I will ever quit doing web stuff though. I just never really got that good at it.

I thought maybe I was in this funk because I quit smoking not long ago (6 monthsish). Everyone always talks about the mood swings and the increase in appetite, but no one ever talks about the latent depression the happens after you quit smoking.


I do like Jeni's take on it though. As long as it pays my bills and allows me time to spend with the loved ones, I'm good.

Later,

C:\

Ooooo...quit smoking!

Congrats! Very hard thing to do IMHO.

I quit over 5 years ago and I am still smoke free, thank the FSM!

I would suggest replacing your smoking "blanks" with physical activity of some sort - this helped me immensely, and helped me also avoid the depression (as physical activity releases natural dopamines in the body).

I play Foos now

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

Thanks for the congrats WebShaman

As for replacing with physical activity, I have taken up Mountain Biking again. I ride 3 - 4 times a week (work is tough sometimes) and end up riding about 15 - 20 miles at a time. I love it

A lot of people said (even my doctor) that I probably couldn't do it without some help (patch, chantrix, etc...) but I did. Cold turkey. It was tough but worth it.

Now...what to do about this funk some of seem to be in?

@jive : are you doing anything computer wise at all right now?

Later,

C:\

quote:

---

CPrompt said:

I quit smoking not long ago (6 monthsish)

---

The 6 month mark is a critical time. Very Critical. Nicotine stays in your system for 6 months which is about the time it takes for your marrow to produce new blood and as the last of the nicotine leaves your system you may/can get that insideous craving one last time.

Got this info from a blood specialist my wife works with as I was quitting about 3.5 years ago. "Tell him to be ready for a big urge around the 6 month mark".... etc.

I'd also gone through the various aids but finally went the cold turkey route. Not one drag since which is quite remarkable. As someone once said to me. " I've never met a professional smoker before."

I'd start the day with what's known as a Tow-Boaters Breakfast. A Pot and a Pack. Trouble was breakfast was served all day.

Anyway.... good on ya.... just be aware of that one last urge.

___________________________________________________________________________
?Privatize the Profits - Socialize the Losses.? Randi Rhodes

Yeah, I am a firm believer in the Cold Turkey method myself as well.

It is brutal as all get out, but I think it is the best way to stay permanently "off the cig" (you can replace cig with whatever addictive substance you wish here).

Good bit of advice from NJ there. I did not know about the 6 month thing.

I can say that I am totally free from the addictive urge to smoke - only the psycological urge is still there (and never really goes away...I normally just think back on that hellish week when I quit to subdue the damned things).

I occasionally find myself longing for a smoke (kind of like that guy in Ghost, in the Subway...hehe "Oh, what I wouldn't give for just one more puff!") especially after a good meal or...well, other things

But a quick thought about that one week normally curbs that right up!

As I said, to counter the blues I play Foos - we have a table where I work, so every break is outside on the Foos table. Works wonders for relieving stress and depression.

And congrats to you as well, NJ! Anyone that quits smoking (and stays clean) gets my respect.

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

@CPrompt I'm actually always doing computer stuff. Just got a Macbook Pro - just to give mac osx a try. Had my bout with ubuntu, and I like it. Will likely use it on a box. Toying with windows 7 and like the fact that I can resurrect old machines with it. Things are certainly not unbusy, just doesn't seem to push me like it use to...

Since this is now a smoking thread, I'll add my $0.02: I still smoke a pack a day. 15 years strong so far. Holding out for the free toaster at 20 years.

-S

I'm a pack-a-day smoker, as well. Going on the 6 year mark. I want to quit. Have tried many times before. Been met with failure.

Yup. Still trying to quite here too. E-Cigs look pretty cool though. You look like a dork with them, but then, strangely, that appeals to me.

not that i want to interrupt the talk about cigs, but for me the glamour was long gone long ago.

Just like icarus, i guess i flew too high too fast.


But, i still think this thing you're using is the best invention ever.

~this is not a signature~