09 Jul 2003 | Toby said...

All I know is that I'll keep reloading this page today...

09 Jul 2003 | Steven Garrity said...

There was a slashdot discussion about this and the responses were mostly lame ADD jokes and a few people concerned about over-medicating branding behaviour as an addiction or illness.

That said, there is something too this. I wrote back in the 2000 that the internet had fried my brain.

09 Jul 2003 | Don Schenck said...

I *was* feeling the need to be constantly connected. Then, I decided to get into things that required me to be not connected: Sports car, bodybuilding, surfing, kayaking, cigars, etc.

But there's one thing I seldom go without: music. An addition of sorts, methinks.

09 Jul 2003 | Darrel said...

I think anyone that would be posting in here would have to agree with it. ;o)

I have ADD myself, so I can't be entirely unbiased.

09 Jul 2003 | Joshua Kaufman said...

I have that. I experience it strong and often unless there is nowhere for me to plug in. For example, when I'm vacation where there's no Internet access, I'm usually content with settling for a book, music or television.

It makes me want to follow Don's example and get into more things that don't require connectivity...

09 Jul 2003 | fajalar said...

I attribute my need to over-inform myself to the incredibly high IQ I have. I just need to over-inform in order to not get bored with what I am doing.

Of course, I also have trouble finishing things, so that proba

09 Jul 2003 | COD said...

I've worked in the web business since 96, and I still don't feel the need to be connected 24 x 7. I don't answer my cell phone a lot of the time, and I check email once in the evening. Screw it - I'm not THAT important - I don't need to be disturbed when I'm doing something really important - like losing at Battleship to my son.

09 Jul 2003 | scottmt said...

its me too, I read this article when it was posted on slashdot, and just read it again!

here's a non-subscription link.

I sit in front of the computer all day (multitasking as much as my brain will allow!!) and come home, sign on IM and check my email. I'll hop on the web several times at night. I've been saying it for a few months, I'm addicted to information. Seems like they named it.

I seem to have a Gibson induced vision/idea that there is a "current" to the flow of information on the internet. I'm hoping one day to see the shape ... ;)

09 Jul 2003 | RS said...

Maybe a more interesting question is why is this so?. Net data must feel more personally relevant than data from books, etc, and maybe this pushes a biological button somewhere.

If there wasn't a fitness advantage associated with increased information access, none of us would have eyes.

09 Jul 2003 | Josh said...

I am trying to cut back on my data needs.

Not so long ago I heard outlook chime that a new email had arrived. I was in bed at the time falling asleep. I started getting out of bed when I realized that I was Outlook's (Pavlov's) Dog.

10 Jul 2003 | Don Schenck said...

faj -- TOO funny! Thanks for the morning laugh.

10 Jul 2003 | Don Schenck said...

Thing is, Josh ... the email that awakened you was probably either "add three inches" or "hot teen cheerleaders ...".

And to think, I went NINE YEARS without a TV!

10 Jul 2003 | said...

Maybe a more interesting question is why is this so?. Net data must feel more personally relevant than data from books, etc, and maybe this pushes a biological button somewhere.

That button is "new." Now that the 'net is advancing down the apoption curve, the newness is wearing off. And so we can finally evaluate our use, not simply accept it as an unqualified good.

10 Jul 2003 | Chris said...

The thing that drives me nuts is my email notification on my computer. I'll be doing work and the little icon comes up in the tray and flashes. The minute it gets there I fell the need, now wait, I NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY, what it is. Of course it's usually spam. If I could only get Mailwasher to not alert me on mail it has flagged as "probably spam" I'd be a happy camper. I guess this goes in the the "I need to know what my new email is RIGHT NOW" bag.

10 Jul 2003 | Steve said...

I don't find this unique to the online world. I can't stand to let a ringing phone go unanswered, for instance. And I'll try to get to it as quickly as possible. On the rare occasions someone knocks at my door - who visits in person anymore? - I'm the same way.

That said, I'm apparently addicted to stimulation. I'm almost always consuming a minimum of two media at once. I often read or surf while watching TV, I have music on all the time, if I hear my personal email alert go off I'll often stop what I'm doing to check on it, etc. Definitely a child of my generation in that regard.

16 Jan 2004 | Christian said...

For example, if you see an AIM window peeking out from behind your browser and you click on it, that window will come to the front, but the main application window will not. The Mail.app/Activity Viewer is another example. The Aqua system of layers works well in many instances, but not in all. Thank goodness that the Dock is always there to come to the rescue. I know that clicking on an application icon in the Dock will always result in not only the application coming to the front, but also any non-minimized windows associated with it. And if the application is active but no windows are open, clicking on the Dock icon should create a new window in that application.