My Internet Problem (WWWW)

After getting the post done last night, I realized that I've got a serious internet addiction. I couldn't think of anything else to do online, so I was "bored." I haven't been bored since, like the third grade. I eventually decided to play on the Wii for a bit. But it got me thinking . . .

I seem to be stuck in an online rut lately - only visiting the same few sites over and over. Oh, sure I pop over to other sites when there’s a link from one of these 'favorites'. And, of course my feed reader is a loophole in this idea. But, I see little reason to frequent other sites much of the time. Sure I use other sites as I work, but as far as the ones that really draw my interest, the ones I have open even at work, the ones I keep open at home - there are these few. When I’ve covered as much as I can in each of those, then what do I do? I stare, blankly, at the computer waiting for something to be updated.

What are these sites that garner so much of my attention?I thought I'd share.

1. *My feed reader of choice - Google Reader: This is the site that gets the bulk of my concentration. Sure, I simply skim through some of the blog posts. But, I subscribe to at least 238 blogs. If you check out the sidebar on the right, you can see a sampling of just a few of the ones I follow. I do try to go through them from time to time and weed out the ones that don’t interest me as much as they initially did, but then I just find more and more each week to follow. It's a never-ending cycle.

2. *Yahoo Mail: this is where my main e-mail address exists. I LOVE to get mail (snail OR electronic) and I wait for it, constantly. I keep this tab open all the time, just so an e-mail won't arrive unnoticed. It's sad, I know.

3. *Some version or other of Twitter: This is my main addiction right now. I started out by trying not to follow too many people, realizing that I wouldn't be able to keep up with so many. But, there are so many interesting individuals and so many groups that spark my interest that it's hard to resist not clicking that 'follow' button sometimes. And, if I didn't follow so many people, I might just end up out of the loop.

4. *Pandora: This is usually just for work. It's how I get my music to block out all the other distractions in the office. I love that I can create a variety of stations that play ONLY what I like and want to hear. SO much better than the radio.

5. *Blogger: Well, I need it to write these posts of course.

6. *Facebook: For a while I was not the typical Facebook user. I would just pop in, check on what others were doing and forget about it. However, lately, it's been like a drug. I HAVE to know what's going on, take that stupid quiz, comment on a friend's status, whatever. What do you mean there are no new updates???? I can't believe I've gotten to this point.

7. *Flickr: Now, this isn't one I use a bunch, but definitely one of the top ten. I haven't updated my pictures in a while, but I love the search function. I find so much inspiration in what other crafters are doing (my feed reader does this as well) and can easily find sources of inspiration in their pictures. As such, you'll find that most of my Flickr pictures are of my crafts too.

8. Etsy: This is another source for inspiration for me. Hopefully, it will also be my source to sell my jewelry at some point. If you haven't checked out or heard about Etsy, you totally should. It's an online store for all things handmade and supplies. I love it. Go now, see it, buy it, love it like I do. It also some really cool search options. This color choice one is my favorite, it's fun to play with!!

9. Amazon: If I'm looking for something to buy, this is usually the first place I look. If they don't have it, they'll suggest who might. It's just easier.

10. *Google: Come on? Who doesn't use Google at least once a day? You're on the internet now, so I know you do.
So that's it - there's the list of my drugs of choice. I don't deal well without them. Oh, and the astericks (*) those indicate the ones I use on my iPhone too. I either have an app or some other form of easy access for those. The ones without, I can figure it out. In any case, I have a problem.

What’s worse is I still get bored. I belong to countless forums, communities, message boards, etc. for crafting as well as have tons of interests in other subjects. But, I hardly ever delve into these sites because I’m often so far behind. When I do catch up, like I did last night, I just can't fathom being online any longer and on a DIFFERENT SITE? No way! Oh please, I need help!

That being said, let's check out some of the other crazy, useless things I've found online with "Wild, Wild Web Wednesday."
Hopefully, I haven't added to your internet addiction as well. If so, well, join the club. Come on in, take a seat, and fire up that computer. We're heeeeeeeerrrrreeeee for you!!!

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