Thursday, April 24, 2008 -- 3:49 p.m. -- at my desk

**UPDATE (4/24 3:57 p.m.) Here's the answer about the iPhone right here:

Our main aim is to get people just to stop and think about the issues mentioned above, so it is personal to each individual. If your wife often suggests to you that you are having an affair with your PDA, then switch it off! If you need your cell phone to arrange fun things to do on Shutdown Day, please keep it on and use it. We think the internet is the thing that people will find most difficult to separate from for one day, so the main idea is that you keep your computers/laptops switched off, but if you use your PDA to access the net then perhaps you should switch it off too. We suggest you switch off your games consoles on 03 May 2008 too, but it's a personal choice.

The idea behind Shutdown Day on May 3 is surviving without a computer.

The first question I asked myself -- and haven't yet asked the organizers -- is "does that include the iPhone?"

I think I could survive without the computer. I really do. But with my iPhone? It would be like sitting in front of a Reeses Peanut Butter cup the entire day, knowing I can't touch the thing and actually not touching it.

Yeah, I don't see myself being successful there.

This is what the Web site says:

Be part of one of the biggest global experiments ever to take place on the Internet. The idea behind Shutdown Day is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if we all participate!

Decide for yourself if this is something that you want to do. iWife and I turned out the lights for an hour during Earth Hour, be we didn't turn the TV off. Not sure if that's the equivalent of using the iPhone on Shutdown Day or not.

You can get lots more info here.

Thanks for calling. And please vote in the poll.

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OH NO!!!!! NO IPTIB FOR ONE DAY!!! HOW WILL WE SURVIVE?!

SCOTT'S REPLY: It's an excellent question, Jake. :-D

Haven't heard of this Special Day till seeing it here. Looking at their website, didn't see anything defining what the word "computer" actually means. We all know a computer means a desktop system or a laptop. But what about all our other devices we use everyday that have some type of computer in them.

Examples: microwave, our cars, regular voiceline telephones, answering machines, fax, dishwashers, satellite TV receivers, etc. Would HDTVs qualify as a computer? Remote control units - oh, oh, what will we do with our hands that day?

One way to make the day go shorter is to turn off your digital alarm clock the night before. Wake up later than usual, sit in your comfy chair wearing a straight jacket until it's time to go to bed.

SCOTT'S REPLY: LOL. It reminds me of a skit once on Saturday Night Live that I always loved. It was a TV newscast where the teleprompters all went down and no one knew what to say. They were like "Must ... not ... pass out .... so .... cold ..." It was hilarious and it reminds me of life without being connected.

Hmm...as someone who observes Sabbath weekly (btw gut Shabbos und gut Moed to anyone it applies to), I spend 25 hours a week 100% device free, so I can say first hand it's not that hard to go a day without computers, phones, or (in my case) the operation or use of anything electronic.

That said, I don't really feel too compelled to separate myself from my toys and my livelihood (I work both in IT and audio engineering, both heavily computer based occupations) for a day just because some nerds want to "find out how many people can go without a computer for a day". I can answer the question for them without any need for experiments: the entire population of the world could go without a computer for a day if they had to, as they did before computers were invented. Phew, glad we figured that one out...

SCOTT'S REPLY: Me, too, Mitch. Me too.

Obviously i couldn't do my job without my personal computer. but now that i see its on a saturday; that is simple. I mean seriously people disconnect for a day. it might be good for you. go to the beach, enjoy company of friends, communicate in person. I think we all need a bit of a break from our wired lives here and there.

SCOTT'S REPLY: That's true and good advice, Justin. Definitely better than a Wednesday!!

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