What could I possibly do with all that time I spend in front of the PC? I answer and reply to all my e-mail, coordinate interviews and first looks with developers, and surf the web to research and plan my next big news update. Plus, I try to keep in touch with all my contacts and keep up to date with their latest projects. Oh, I'm also an avid gamer on top of all my other duties, and we all know how much time that nasty habit can consume. Who hasn't said this once or twice, "I'll be their in a sec, right after I finish this level!" You know who you are... But what I'm really beginning to wonder, am I really accomplishing anything with all this time spent in front of a (basically) high resolution T.V.? It's hard to know who has the upper hand here... me or my PC. Rather than being more productive, I'm realizing that personal time (i.e. quality time with the Mrs.) is becoming something that I have less and less control over.

It wasn't always like this. When I first got my computer, I believed it would actually free up time, so that I could do other things. I thought it would let me work from anywhere I wanted and to stay in touch with people at the speed it took me to click the "send" button. I believed the PC would give me the freedom to choose a lifestyle rather than have to choose between the time demands of work and my family.

My view of the computer has changed drastically since then. The machine I once believed would free me has become, well, kinda like an itch I can't scratch. I'm on the web working so much that most of my friends and family have given up on trying to get in touch with a human, that they just leave messages on my voice mail like, "hey John and J'aime, (my wife) when you're off the internet can you give me a call?" They just automatically assume I'm on the net and couldn't possibly be "not home," to answer their calls. Many evenings after dinner I have softly said, "I'm just going to check my mail." My wife just rolls her eyes and says, "yeah sure," but reluctantly she doesn't stop me.

To see if most of my life really did revolve around the high resolution T.V., I kept track of all the time I spent answering e-mail, updating my site, and general web surfing over the course of a typical week. (weekends being my light days). All told, I'm in front of the H.R. T.V. for about 6 hours a day. I know that this is time I could be reading, writing, or lord have mercy, a non computer related pursuit (like sleeping), but I still pursue it.

Why don't I just stop! Trust me, I'm trying, but battling one's addiction is an uphill battle. As computers get better and become even more compelling, the temptation to live through them will just increase for all of us. The truth is, as "we" find the computer to be an indispensable tool, it will begin to take on a life of its own and crowd out what's left of our non computer life.

So if you feel like you're being taken over by the that 17' tube of light, just take a few tips from me. (Yes I know, do as I say, not as I do).

1. When sending e-mail, try to come up with a set format and save that document in its own folder. Then when the time comes just cut and paste the document and then customize it for the reader. I do this a lot when sending other news sites my news postings or when requesting information from a publisher.

2. This also goes for the T.V. too, but don't have your computer in front of you when talking on the phone. They always end up knowing that you're not paying attention to them and it's just plain rude (yeah, I'm one to talk!). Of course, this is a good practice when talking to telemarketers or people who love to talk your ear off.

3. Before you run to turn on your metal box with a lot of expensive parts in it, take a look around: Is there a beautiful woman that you would rather spend the night with, cuddling in front of the T.V.... err... that's another story in itself.

I'm not going to pretend to be some guru on the subject of saving time on the internet or any related time saving subject, but I know what works with me. But, I also know what doesn't work and these are the things I need to work on. So, if you feel the same, please feel free to comment on this article on our new and updated forum. Thanks.