date: Wed 02 Jul 2025 10:04:56 PM PDT
subj: computing addiction
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Long ago I read the book: Underground
(TXT) The Book: Underground
(TXT) 7/02/2025 this document
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SUELETTE DREYFUS JULIAN ASSANGE
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http://www.underground-book.com/
Hacking, madness and obsession on the electronic frontier
‘Gripping, eminently readable.. Dreyfus has uncovered one of this
country’s best kept secrets and in doing so has created a highly
intense and enjoyable read’ -- Rolling Stone
By Suelette Dreyfus with
Research by Julian Assange
First Published 1997 by Mandarin
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In that book there was talk of the people busted for hacking.
Their excuse was based on having an addiction, addicted to
hacking. At the time I read it I was doing a fair amount of
computing, but I had a problem with the idea of their addiction.
I've never been a hacker, I've only been a computer user. When I
read of computer addiction at the time I didn't really think of
my career and use of computers as a problem. I thought I like
computers, and doing computing, but this isn't something to
actually get addicted to. I like riding my bike, but I wouldn't
say I'm addicted to it (or I wouldn't have, maybe I would now).
When I read the book Hackers Heroes of the Computer Revolution,
a different idea about computing addiction appeared in my mind,
related to computer widow. A term for a computer user who no
longer has a wife because they spent too much time computing and
not enough time building their relationship with their
significant other. But still am I a computer addict?
As I spend my days doing whatever it is but specifically when a
computer isn't involved at all, I get this urge to want to use
the computer. The longer I go without using the computer, the
more I want to use it. If I'm still not using the computer in
some way, I'll turn on youtube and find a video where someone
else is using, talking about, or showing a computer. Eventually
I start looking at one of my computers. I dream about how it can
connect to another system. I start to imagine what its like
going some other system in specific ways. For instance, I'll
think about installing MSDos on a system and then trying to
access SDF, or Thunix, or possibly some BBS.
Using my computer at work almost doesn't count. Work has nothing
in the realm of interface that allures me to feel like I'm
computing.
After I watched some youtube video or read something on the nets
about addiction, and technology was among one of the things to
be addicted to, I wondered if my desires for computing
qualified me in the addicted to shtuff category of people. I
started thinking about my silly gopher log space here and how I
write and post on it. Everything resides on a 3.5 inch floppy. I
compose to on a new file on that floppy, then I transfer the
file to SDF. The writing itself enables my use of computers. One
thought was is this very act of writing feeding my addiction?
How many others on the SDF phlog would consider themselves as
computer addicts or some derivative of computing.
I feel safe in this computer world with the light text on black
background. Nothing hurts me, most times I'm not frustrated
doing stuff here. The illusion of control remains and doesn't
seem to fade (as long as the computer turns on).
My father in law, a great man, man I wish I could be like at
times, but I'll never be able to live up to what he did. At one
point he would get used computers for cheap, repair them, and
resell them. He tells me about how many he sold, and his
ratings. He really enjoyed it, and he was proud that he made a
little bit of money doing it. He has his computer pile of older
systems he keeps running. He doesn't do much on his computers,
but if they are not in working order he isn't happy. He's older
now and sometimes needs my help installing a linux system on
those old beasts. I'm happy to help him. He thinks its work for
me, but for me its what I like doing, and even better because
I'm helping him and not myself. But he frets about my time a
bit. He never described himself as a computer user, or a hacker,
or an addict, but the computer bug certain has bit him. The
times he spent using them and working on them stuck with him.
Like myself the machine has stuck with me and bit me too.
Are we all computer addicts disguised as hobbyist or IT pros?
I wonder is writing a better choice than gaming?