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