| What information consumes is rather obvious: it | | | | go dark and succumb to unconscious habituation. |
| consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a | | | | Establish clear boundaries such that if you cross |
| wealth of information creates a poverty of attention | | | | them, you know you're at risk of falling into a |
| and a need to allocate that attention efficiently | | | | pattern of addiction. And if that ever happens, it's |
| among the overabundance of information sources | | | | time to immediately begin a new fasting period.5. Let |
| that might consume it. | | | | It GoIf you find yourself repeatedly succumbing to |
| - Herbert SimonOnline forums, message boards, and | | | | forum addiction or other negative usage patterns, |
| newsgroups are now ubiquitous. These powerful | | | | you may decide it's best to simply do without. At the |
| communication tools offer many strong benefits. | | | | time of this writing, I no longer regularly participate in |
| However, forum participation can also become a | | | | any online forums or message boards. When I |
| destructive addiction, where the benefits are | | | | clarified my intentions, I realized my #1 reason for |
| overshadowed by negative side effects.Here are | | | | participation was to contribute and to help people. |
| some potential benefits of regular online forum | | | | But using forums as a contribution outlet was |
| participation:* Intellectual exchange* Learning new | | | | inefficient, since it would too often lead to lengthy |
| ideas and refining old ones* Enjoying community | | | | (and mostly unproductive) debates. I found that |
| membership* Influencing the forum's evolution* | | | | sticking with one-to-many outlets like writing articles |
| Contributing to others* Making new friends and | | | | and maintaining a blog were a much better use of |
| contacts* New business leads* Keeping up with | | | | my time. Blog comments still allow some interactivity, |
| current events* Learning about new | | | | but the time required to manage them is reasonable |
| opportunitiesHere are some potential negative | | | | and the personal relevance of most blog comments |
| effects of excessive forum usage:* Reduced | | | | is extremely high.6. Replace Online Socialization With |
| concentration and focus* Reduced productivity* | | | | Face-to-Face ContactRegarding the social aspect, |
| Chronic procrastination* Increased pessimism and/or | | | | online forums are a poor substitute for meeting |
| apathy* Being distracted by endless debates and idle | | | | people in person. While there's certainly some social |
| gossip* Gradually substituting tribal group think for | | | | benefit to forums - many people have met their |
| your own intelligence* Impaired social skills, neglected | | | | spouses in online forums, including me - it's important |
| relationships, and a weakened social circle (a | | | | to physically spend time with human beings instead of |
| consequence of substituting online socialization for | | | | via a computer screen. If you need a new social |
| face-to-face conversations)* Reduced energy (forum | | | | outlet, join a local club or association, especially one |
| participation is sedentary compared to more active | | | | that meets weekly. I found that when I joined |
| social outlets)* Reduced self-esteem* Career and | | | | Toastmasters International and began attending |
| income may suffer (including loss of employment)* | | | | meetings and competing in speech contests, my |
| Forum addictionSince the early 1990s, I've | | | | interest in socializing via online forums fell dramatically. |
| participated in many different online forums, message | | | | Even the best online communication pales in |
| boards, and newsgroups and have experienced many | | | | comparison to face-to-face, belly-to-belly contact.7. |
| of these positive and negative effects at various | | | | Be a Dabbler, Not a FixtureAnother tip is to treat |
| times. I ran a popular game developer forum for | | | | forum participation as temporary. If your goal is to |
| almost two years, so I've had experience both as a | | | | make new business contacts, then dive in and |
| participant and a forum operator. On the positive | | | | participate actively for a while, maybe 30-90 days. |
| side, I've learned many great ideas, made valuable | | | | Make new friends and contacts, collect private |
| new business contacts, and even met my wife on a | | | | contact info, and then abandon the forums. Continue |
| local computer bulletin board system. On the negative | | | | to develop your new relationships via one-to-one |
| side, I found excess participation to be a huge time | | | | communication like email, phone calls, and if possible, |
| drain (and very addicting as well).Here are some | | | | face-to-face meetings (such as at industry |
| suggestions for using forums effectively and avoiding | | | | conferences). Temporarily dabbling in many different |
| the negative side effects:1. Take a Forum FastFirst, if | | | | forums is a more effective way to build contacts |
| you're currently active in any forums, go on a forum | | | | than pushing a single forum far beyond its |
| fast. Stop visiting all forums for a while; don't even | | | | usefulness.You can also use the dabbling method to |
| lurk. I recommend a fasting period of 30 days, with a | | | | gather general information on a subject. Seek out a |
| bare minimum of 14 days. This will help you break | | | | number of relevant forums and bookmark them. |
| any unconscious habits and regain your perspective, | | | | Then spend a few hours scanning each forum once |
| so you can intelligently evaluate the role forums | | | | every six months to soak up the current wisdom. |
| should play in your life. Otherwise, you may be | | | | Whenever you have a specific question, pop in and |
| coming from a place of unconscious habit and will | | | | search the forum archives. If searching turns up a |
| likely overestimate the value of continued | | | | blank, feel free to post a new message, harvest the |
| participation. If you're currently a forum moderator, | | | | answers, and disappear.8. Avoid AddictionOnline |
| take a forum vacation, and enlist someone to | | | | forums are tricky beasts. At the time of this writing, |
| temporarily assume your moderation duties. Redirect | | | | my feeling is that ongoing daily participation in any |
| the time you would have spent in online forums to | | | | single forum for more than a few months is almost |
| something positive like exercising or reading books. If | | | | invariably unproductive. Eventually the initial benefits |
| you don't think you have the discipline to do this, | | | | like gaining knowledge and making new contacts |
| simply make a post in each forum explaining that | | | | produce diminishing returns. And then the negative |
| you'll be taking the next 30 days off, and if any | | | | effects like forum addiction set in. Regular |
| forum member catches you online, you'll pay the first | | | | participation (even from unconscious habituation) will |
| person that emails you about it $100. This should give | | | | still provide some benefits, but the longer you |
| you enough leverage to stick with your fast.2. | | | | participate, the less efficiently those benefits are |
| Reassess Your Forum Usage HabitsOnce you've | | | | realized.Close cousins of forum addiction include online |
| completed the initial fasting period (and not before), | | | | gaming addiction, web surfing addiction, blog addiction, |
| take a fresh look at your forum participation habits. | | | | email addiction, and news addiction. The common |
| Imagine that you just discovered each forum today | | | | pattern is that unconscious habituation overrides |
| for the first time. What are the pros and cons of | | | | conscious, clear-headed decision-making. If you ever |
| participation? Is this the best use of your time, or | | | | find yourself with such an unproductive habit, take |
| can you imagine something better? If you're using | | | | steps to reassert conscious control. Use a period of |
| forums to get specific information, would it be better | | | | fasting to regain your perspective, reexamine your |
| to simply read books, articles, or blogs? If you're | | | | motives, set clear boundaries, and find alternative |
| using them as a social outlet, would it be better to | | | | outlets. Manage your forum usage consciously to |
| join a local club and meet people face-to-face? | | | | serve your goals, and avoid the trap of |
| Looking back on your previous pattern of behavior, | | | | addiction.Online forums can be a powerful productivity |
| would you say you were addicted? Did your usage | | | | tool, but self-awareness and discipline are required to |
| pattern become unconscious? If so, how do you | | | | prevent them from becoming a pitfall of |
| intend to prevent that from happening again?3. Clarify | | | | procrastination.Copyright © Steve PavlinaSteve |
| Your ExpectationsIf you decide to participate in | | | | Pavlina |
| online forums, clarify your expectations. Whether you | | | | Personal Development for Smart People |
| intend to use forums for market research, to make | | | | |
| new contacts, or as an outlet for your humorous wit, | | | | (blog) |
| get clear on why you're there.4. Establish Reasonable | | | | (articles)Steve is intensely growth-oriented. He |
| BoundariesTo limit the risk of forum addiction, set | | | | trained in martial arts, ran the L.A. Marathon, and |
| clear boundaries for yourself and write them down. | | | | graduated from college in three semesters with two |
| You can limit the number of times per week you | | | | degrees. He can juggle, count cards at blackjack, and |
| check each forum, the total amount of time you | | | | make damn good guacamole. Steve is also a |
| spend participating, or the number of posts you'll | | | | polyphasic sleeper, sleeping just 2-3 hours per day |
| allow yourself to make each week. Track your | | | | and only 20 minutes at a time. So chances are good |
| weekly usage on a scrap of paper to keep yourself | | | | that he's awake right now. |
| consciously aware of your participation habits. Don't | | | | |