Canadian geeks to turn off the tech

A group of Canadian self-confessed geeks is asking concerned citizens to turn off their tech on Saturday 3 May - dubbed "Shutdown Day" - in an attempt to "spread awareness about the pitfalls and dangers that lie in the extended and unnecessary use of, and exposure to television, computers and computing equipment". The press …

[Anonymous Coward]

Well said!

"spread awareness about the pitfalls and dangers that lie in the extended and unnecessary use of, and exposure to television, computers and computing equipment"

I agree wholeheartedly. Technology has a pervasive impact on our lives, and anything which has a pervasive impact on our lives clearly needs to be stopped.

It only seems logical to do the same thing for printed words, electricity, running water, and many other insidious technology that we are clearly *addicted* to.

Turn off the tech, people! All of it!

[Anonymous Coward]

ROTM

Question is, will the tech let itself be turned off?

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh goodie

less hack attempts from a certain node in CA land then!!

SHAWley not

[dervheid]

Must. Have...

Daily.

Fix!

I'm not giving up my sunday morning "Mariokart Wii" session for anyone.

And if that makes me a sad bastard,

I DON'T CARE!!

Now please FUCK OFF and stop telling ME what to do with MY LIFE, YOU MAPLE -SYRUP SUPPING BASTARDS!

[Louis Cowan]

Sounds tough

Does this apply to pacemakers??

In all seriousness, I do agree with the idea - a fair few too many people I know are living an overly sedentary lifestyle, and when the suggestion of doing something outdoors is aired to them, you can see the disgust in their face at the very notion of stepping outdoors and in amongst that green stuff that comes out of the ground. I live with one person who's addicted to TV, and one of my best mates is addicted to Guild Wars.

I used to be the same; I could once be found spending from dusk til dawn playing Heroes of Might and Magic, and eventually, raiding in World of Warcraft. I admit - I got completely addicted to it, and it was only when confronted by my missus with a pretty stern ultimatum did I give it up. Cold turkey is hard but fast, and it was only about 2/3 days after I gave it up that I realised that there's a whole world out there to see and experience.

So, er... yea! Go outside! Go sniff trees, pat dogs, climb hills, jump streams and be chased by bulls. It's better that going pale through lack of sunlight!

[Sarah Bee]

Re: Must. Have...

>>Now please FUCK OFF and stop telling ME what to do with MY LIFE, YOU MAPLE -SYRUP SUPPING BASTARDS!

Oh, that's nice. They just want you to get a bit more Vitamin A, you pasty beast.

[Mike Crawshaw]

It's a Saturday....

Why couldn't they have chosen a Monday? I hate Mondays....

[A J Stiles]

Tech Dependency

The day a child survived who would have died without the benefits of simple stone weapons (= more food) or fire (= cooked food, fewer germs, reduced risk of hypothermia) was the day that the human race was already dependent on technology.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Sarah Bee

Don't you mean Vitamin D? Unless they're intending that you spend the time not playing on your Wii eating carrots and oily fish.

Paris. Because she has more ideas on what you can do with a carrot than most.

[Greg]

I might just do that

It's a Saturday, so I could kick back away from the computer and relax with some Burno...oh, sorry.

Well, I could always go fly one of my copte-.....damn.

Head down to Laserqu-....damn it!

Watch a mo-...bugger!

OK, OK, easy one. Kick back with a good book and listen to some music on my-....damn it all!

So a day without games, toys, films or music? Thank god for my expansive bookshelf.

[Shinku]

Re: Must. Have...

RTFA.

Its on a Saturday, not a Sunday.

[Sarah Bee]

Re: @Sarah Bee

Oh yeah. It's because I haven't had enough Vitamin C lately.

[Charley]

Only gentlemen

are required to cease swearing in front of our Moderatrix.

Grooowwwlll.

[David Perry]

I can do it if....

I don't need to fire up the computer after setting up in the afternoon for the first dance song (DJing Saturday at a wedding, so laptop is needed, and seeing as my boss who took the booking neglected to check for special requests etc I MIGHT have to go online somewhere to obtain said requests). On work grounds, my phone (Tmobile MDA) is also staying on - I'll just have to check my email using that instead :)

Friday night I'm watching a flim on DVD with female company, tho once that goes off we can amuse ourselves for hours on end...

Penguin pic cos isn't linux about working around restrictions and stuff? hehe.

[dervheid]

What?

You expect me to be able to figure out what day of the freaking week it is?

Jeezuss!

Saturday/Sunday. Same issue! Same place, both days!!!

BTW... Sarah Bee.

I always had the sneaking suspicion thet SOMONE was spying on me! NOW I KNOW!! Pasty Beast indeed! I'll have you know I suffer from a rare genetic condition that turns me whiter than white. I'm sure you've heard of it before. It has had a well known and loved (now generally reviled and ridiculed) sufferer. (OWWWW!! <grabs own crotch>)

[Sarah Bee]

Re: What?

You suffer from vitiligo, dervheid? How terrible.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Louis Cowan

> Does this apply to pacemakers?

That was my first thought.

> It's better that going pale through lack of sunlight!

Why? I suspect skin cancer numbers would prove you wrong.

[Anonymous Coward]

And they're doing this...

... on the first weekend after GTA IV is released???

Not likely! I must have my addiction fed!

And, after 6 hours of playing it already, I am feeling the need to speed in my car; shoot the b*stard in front of me in the queue; not shave and put on a strange Russian Accent...

BTW: I've spent 6 hours playing, and another 2 watching the TV... on GTA!!!

How F*cking Awesome is that!

Yes... I'm a sad bar-steward...

Helicopter cos thats what I'm stealing next! :D

[dervheid]

Vitiligo?

No.

Vertigo!

You should see how pale I get when any further than 3 floors off the ground.

(Not to mention the nosebleeds!!)

OK when I fly though! But only if there's an aircraft involved.

[Pete Randall]

Wot, not mention of ....

...needing to do this periodically to clean out the inter-tubes?

[Anonymous Coward]

not a bad idea

I live in Japan where more and more people only have contact using email. And worse of all email on cellphones. I hate typing with one finger and I prefer meeting people in real life. Meeting in real life is not favored here since that is not risk free.

Lots of Japanese feel safe using email because the moment you say something they don't like they can ignore you forever. Meeting in real life comes with this thing that most Japanese people hate: risk. Risk of having to confront somebody with a different opinion as yours.

And the Japanese government is wondering how to stop the demographic evolution here. No wonder anti conception pills are not paid back :)

For those people I think the shutdown day would be not a bad thing. I would prefer it that they called it the "meet someone in real life day".

[Steve]

No way...

Bad enough that I have a 1hour connection in LHR T5 on Sunday, if these guys think that I'm going to give up my only chance to avoid 10 hours in a middle seat by not checking in online on Saturday they can think again. I've already done my bit for Canada, I put maple syrup on my porridge this morning. What more do they want?

[Anonymous Coward]

@Louis - Dangerous advice

"Go outside! Go sniff trees, pat dogs, climb hills, jump streams and be chased by bulls."

Fair enough, but do not under any circumstances mix up these instructions. Sniffing bulls, jumping dogs and climbing streams can be very dangerous, so much so that you'd probably be better off indoors in front of a games console.

I fully expect the government to issue the appropriate health warning in the next few days.

[Anonymous Coward]

Doctor Who

But Saturday's the Doctor Who day!! Have these people no compassion?

I'm all for Sunday though, nothing on tele on a Sunday until Top Gear starts again.

[David Perry]

@ Dr Who

It's called iplayer, the next day ;)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No Way

Steve, you can only hope that the people at LHR T5 (or indeed the pilots of any of the planes) aren't planning on following the lead from Canadia, else you may have to spend the weekend in a tent waiting for your luggage to be redirected to Bouvet Island. Actually, that'll probably happen anyway... enjoy your weekend!

[A J Stiles]

@ Doctor Who

If you put your Sky Plus on standby (which merely changes the colour of the LED from green to red, and has precious little effect on power consumption) it will still record any programmes in your Planner. Does that count?

[Anonymous Coward]

@Dave Perry

But that's technology! Besides, MythTV records it for me anyway. Go the penguin!

[JeffyPooh]

Ain't going to happen...

Not in our house (with a Wii, 2 PS2s, 2 desktops, 1 laptop, 2 DSs, 3 PSPs, 2 mobes, 1 EV-DO USB stick, 3 routers, 4 satellite dishes, 9 satellite boxes, several XM satellite radios, 2 home theatres, a HF/VHF ham radio station, 50+ assorted radios, etc.)

Unless, perhaps, if there is a power failure. But even then I've got battery back-up for some of it. And solar panels.

[Oli]

Im not your buddy guy..

...im not your guy friend....

[ImaGnuber]

Pah!

They can have my tech when they pry it from my cold, dead planet.

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: Vitiligo?

Leave Sarah alone! She's suffering from a vitamin C deficiency and it's affecting her typing.

Go take some fizzy orange tablets Ms Bee, that'll sort you out.

[Anonymous Coward]

Really?

does that mean i wont have to wear my tin-foil hat on saturday :)

we can but wish......

mines the one...... Hang on i won't be needing it, cos i'll be out getting cancer in the sunshine for a change :)

illuminatus;p

[Louis Cowan]

Re: jeffypooh

Jeffy,

do you by any chance work in an old folk's home??

[Silentmaster101]

@ David Wiernicki

I wish i could, have to have my mobe by me all the time for work, curse it.

[Jacob Reid]

just to annoy the environ-mentalists

Looks like its every PC, laptop and TV in the house on then. While I listen to my mp3 player of course.

[Sarah Bee]

Re: just to annoy the environ-mentalists

How mature.

[Kanhef]

@ Greg

Those books were likely typeset on a computer and printed by an electronically-controlled press, so maybe you shouldn't read them either.

[Mike Crawshaw]

Re Sarah, "Re: just to annoy the environ-mentalists"

If you want maturity, hop on over to Slashdot...

[Captain DaFt]

@ Mike Crawshaw

"If you want maturity, hop on over to Slashdot..."

Whew! Thanks for the laugh! I nearly wet myself I laughed so hard. Best sarcastic comment of the year!

[JeffyPooh]

@Louis Cowan

"...old folk's home??"

LOL. No - just a fairly-normal Canadian family with perhaps slightly more power bars than is usual.

BTW - May 3rd is still firmly in heating season in these parts. So turning all this gear off would have essentially zero impact on my household's overall power consumption. The electric heaters would simply duty-cycle up a bit to compensate. Mid-August would make more sense from the point of view of saving power.

[Anonymous from Mars]

No can do.

Let's see... May 3...

Sorry, gotta work and stare at 6 monitors.

[John PM Chappell]

They've got a point...

Specific technologies have altered the way many of us in 'developed, industrialized' nations interact. I'm pretty sure that I spend less time on my laptop and certainly less time on my mobile phone than many of my friends and there are times when the amount of time I've spent looking at the laptop screen frightens me.

Of especial note is the way many of my friends seem to have most of their "social life" online using sites like OKCupid and to a lesser extent, FaceBook.

I don't think these are inherently bad things but I do feel that the amount of face-to-face interaction has dropped even as the amount of online interaction has increased, in my circle of friends and acquaintances.