Shutdown Day
Some might find this easy, others might find it really hard. I’m thinking I will fall in to the latter of the two…
On Saturday 24th March 2007, it will be International Shut Down Day. This is an initiative to see how the World would cope if you didn’t touch a computer for a whole day. The main purpose is to realise how much we have to come to depend on our electronic lifestyle, how much we need the Internet and what else you could be doing with your time.
Thankfully, the people behind this experiment have made sure it falls on a Saturday. While it would be hard for most of us (especially on the Web) to go a whole day without computers at work, I’m sure there are millions of people who spend their weekends catching up with emails, talking to friends over IM or whiling away their time on MySpace or YouTube.
It would be an ideal opportunity to get outside and do something that you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Maybe visit family or friends in person, maybe a walk to the local park or beach, a day out - the time is yours. The only requirement is to not go near or turn on your computer. Of course, this includes PDAs but mobile phones are allowed for contacting your friends to arrange something. Just keep it there - don’t touch the Internet!
I’ve said “I Can” to the project and promised myself to avoid my laptop for the entire day. I will be spending time with my wife and baby. I will take them out. At a time when I have stupendous amounts of deliverables required for the ever-nearing financial year close, this could be quite costly. But think of all that electricity saved. Think of how much the family would appreciate some quality time with you. Think of what life was like before the word Google was a household name.
We should organise an event on a weekend where we all have to go somewhere a distance away where there is no wireless and therefore force us not to use computers all day and use vocal communication for a while… oh… hang on…
Andy Higgs
6 Mar 07 at 10:54 am
Well i aggree, infact i was thinking of doing it for a week and blogging about it, that would include buyin food from a place that does’t use technology (farm or market). No TV - not use any electrical applience (including car).
On a further note - i will be sutting down on this day as ill be recovering from a hangover
Gareth Brown
6 Mar 07 at 10:56 am
@Andy: Multipack Unplugged. Sounds like an ingenious plan to me. All we have to keep us entertained is barrels of beer, a BBQ, a few tents and a guitar for entertainment. The rest is down to some offline Lifehacker tips.
@Gaz: You pretty much live like that already up in your rural Derbyshire village. They’ve only just heard of telephone lines in your town haven’t they?
Si
6 Mar 07 at 3:39 pm
Customers might start getting upset if I turn everything off. Unless they are all taking part in shutdown day as well.
Richard
23 Mar 07 at 1:10 pm
I am on board with shutdown day. I have been emailing one of the creators of shutdown day. He said that they only would like to see personal computers shut down. So we can go to the store and do things that include somewhere along the line a computer. But just stay off your personal computer. It won’t be that hard. I have clicked “I can”.
Lane
23 Mar 07 at 2:22 pm