I've been offline a lot this Summer and Fall, spending as much time
as possible away from my computing devices. Part of this is that I
spend so much time staring at a screen during work hours, that I've
come to dread spending even more time there when I'm not
working. Work itself has been busier than ever, but hopefully things
will settle down after the holidays.
But it has made me consider that earning a living of of what was
once an enjoyable hobby is not always the best way to go. At one
time I used to enjoy programming and tinkering with free operating
systems, but for myself, not for any commercial interest. Now that
has been overshadowed by what I do for work, which isn't all that
different on its face, but certainly _feels_ different. It feels
devoid of creativity or purpose, and perhaps that is what was
enjoyable for me before. It could also be that I'm just burnt-out on
"modern" technology. I'm sure there are people who turn hobbies into
long-term, fulfilling careers, but I bet they are rare.
The other difference is privacy. I think the most frustrating part
of using modern technology is that to use it, you almost always have
to give up your privacy. I've given up counting the number of times
my privacy-enhanced Firefox setup renders credit card, banking or
insurance sites unusable.
I don't see any of this getting better, sadly. I don't have any
answers, apart from continuing to enjoy the simple internet and to
tolerate the other just enough to work and do essential life stuff.
