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Lo-Tec Lent


Now I'm the sort of person who fulminates because some people are advertising Christmas events and it isn't even Halloween yet, but let me go one step further and suggest something for Lent. I've tried it out on a few others and it has frightened the life out of them, but it was borne out of listening to late night radio last night and some of my experiences over the summer of technology going bad and leaving me feeling decidedly uneasy about my dependence upon it.

So here it is: A Lo-Tec Lent. 40 days without digital technology.
No computers.
No mobiles.
No digital TV.
No internet.
No PDA.
No Satnav.
No pagers.
No DECT phones.
No ipod/mp3 player
No digital radio
No flights

If particularly daring one could add to that no cars with electronic management systems, no dishwashers, no electronic keyboards etc.

I propose it for Lent because it will probably take from now to then to sort out how I might manage without these electronic aids to existence. And the question is... would it be appropriate to manually write up a "blog" about the experience for someone else to post, or would that be defeating the object?
Any takers for this experiment into sacrificial simplicity?

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Comments

ScatterCode said…
For me:

No computers.
No mobiles.
Need these for work - could maybe manage no non-work-related texts.

No digital TV.
Don't have a TV, so no problem.

No internet.
Need it for work, otherwise... maybe.

No PDA.
No Satnav.
No pagers.
No DECT phones.
Don't know what a DECT phone is, but don't own any of the others, so no problem.

No ipod/mp3 player
Probably could manage this (assume that playing them via the computer is out as well).

No digital radio
Don't have this.

No flights
Probably fine - not a big traveller.

Would definitely be interesting to follow a blog on this - I blogged on the Carbon Fast last year and people were interested...
Friday, October 24, 2008 9:51:00 AM
Anonymous said…
phew!

I'll think about it.
Friday, October 24, 2008 1:55:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Contemplating...

[curls up into fetal position]
Friday, October 24, 2008 3:40:00 PM
Virtual Methodist said…
Prepared to negotiate on level of participation... Want this to be aspirational and inspirational rather than some kind of Luddite hi-tec hairshirt experience.
Ironically might have a shared blogspace manned by someone not taking part where we could sign up, and temporarily signpost our own blogs/emails to... and submit our experiences periodically via paper and realmail.
Monday, October 27, 2008 8:57:00 AM
Gary said…
I definitely couldn't do this - but the question of blogging through it could be resolved easily - you talked about the 40 days of Lent - the Sundays are not counted as part of Lent, so you could blog each Sunday on your week's progress.
Monday, November 03, 2008 3:49:00 AM
Virtual Methodist said…
Considered the old "Sunday's not included" get out of jail free card, but decided that was a complete crock! If I can't manage the 40 days (and I'm not convinced I can) then 6 days at a time is pathetic... And it might make what is already a hectic day, even less of a day of rest if I am blogging like crazy every Sunday in Lent.
Keep spreading the idea, see if we can get any kind of momentum on it...
Monday, November 03, 2008 6:14:00 AM
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