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Comment by handrous | Hacker News Reader

The Web has a strange way of feeling both important and interesting while, on reflection, not really being either. There's some kind of time-eating black magic at work—and that's before something like TikTok or Facebook get involved, where there's no mystery about why they have the effect they do.

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One of the most important ideas I‘ve come across in the last few days while doing low-value browsing on HN was an insight shared by Rich Hickey: „A computer is the absolute worst place to do thinking“. I think it was in his talk „Hammock driven development“. I actually installed a hammock in my office yesterday because of it. It takes self-control to actually go over and use it. And to leave my phone at the desk, too. But once I do, I profit tremdenously. I get ideas. I see the big picture. I get energized again.

I walk to a family dollar that’s 30 min round trip from my house. Many problems have been solved by a slim Jim and diet Dr Pepper.

I develop many ideas on my motorcycle, or on my bicycle, or while having breakfast. Once I have a computer, my brain is rarely idle enough for that.

Just go for a 45 min walk without bringing your phone (or if you have the discipline simply don’t use it). I solve most problems that way.

can't remember where it is but there's an amazing pg quote somewhere wondering whether the net effect of hn has been positive or negative on account of the time-eating aspect. (I think his conclusion was "almost certainly very positive, but I have moments of doubt....")

There's a bit in 'What I worked on' where he says

"Hacker News is definitely useful. I've learned a lot from things I've read on HN. I've written several essays that began as comments there. So I wouldn't want the site to go away. But I would like to be sure it's not a net drag on productivity. What a disaster that would be, to attract thousands of smart people to a site that caused them to waste lots of time. I wish I could be 100% sure that's not a description of HN."

Is it the social aspect? Far more people are able to hang out and talk with friends for hours on end than are able to read a book for hours on end, say.

Throw in the ease of changing direction (jumping from one article from another in a wiki rabbit hole, say), too.

I've heard that if one sets the display screen (whatever it is) to be black-and-white, the web gets much less compelling. I'm sure there are more factors than that, but it's funny how much bright colours in feedback play a role.

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